JOHANNESBURG - South Africa on Friday unveiled a ​draft national AI policy, seeking public comment on sweeping proposals to regulate ​and accelerate AI adoption.

The ​policy, published by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, aims to position South Africa as a continental ⁠leader in AI innovation while addressing ethical, social and economic challenges.

It also marks a significant step in South Africa's digital transformation.

Public comments on the draft policy are invited by ​June 10.

The ‌draft outlines plans ⁠to establish ⁠new institutions, including a National AI Commission, an AI Ethics Board and ​an AI Regulatory Authority. The bodies would ‌coordinate policy, enforce ethical standards, monitor ⁠compliance, and provide mechanisms for redress and compensation in cases of AI-related harm.

The government also intends to create incentives such as tax breaks, grants, and subsidies to encourage private-sector collaboration, particularly for local startups and small businesses.

One of the key pillars of the policy is investment in strong and cost-effective supercomputing infrastructure to support AI research and development. It also calls ‌for strategic investments in digital infrastructure, including partnerships with ⁠international cloud providers and regional supercomputing hubs.

However, it ​notes concerns that "reliance on foreign infrastructure could compromise the security of sensitive South African data." It calls for plans to reduce ​South ‌Africa's "current hardware dependence on the U.S. and ⁠China" amid their ongoing geopolitical ​rivalry.