SA calls for global oversight of artificial intelligence

New Delhi, India - President Cyril Ramaphosa has identified artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies as tools that, if used effectively and responsibly, can help reduce inequality, poverty and underdevelopment.

However, he warned of the risks and called for greater oversight of these systems.

“We should therefore neither fear AI nor approach it recklessly. Our responsibility is to ensure that human governance advances as rapidly as artificial intelligence itself,” President Ramaphosa said on Sunday at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.

The President was speaking during a session on Shaping the Future for Inclusive Growth, where he said artificial intelligence and associated technologies have the potential to usher in a new era of productivity and human progress.

“It is showing that it has the capability to transform medicine, education, scientific discovery, agriculture, productivity and development. But we must listen carefully to what those who are developing the most powerful AI systems are themselves telling us.

“They are warning about systems capable of advanced cyber operations, assistance in biological weapons development, autonomous action, manipulation, mass surveillance, disruption of employment and, ultimately, systems whose capabilities may become difficult for human beings to control,” he said.

South Africa agrees with industry leaders such as Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, who argue that AI companies should be subject to formal external checks, audits and government oversight.

“Such oversight is standard practice in other industries whose activities have a significant impact on human safety and well-being, such as aviation, pharmaceuticals, nuclear power and financial institutions.

“We must never reach a situation where technological capability has moved beyond our capacity to understand it, supervise it and control it,” the President said.

South Africa has therefore proposed that BRICS establish an international mechanism for the independent scientific evaluation of artificial intelligence.

“This should be backed by meaningful human-control principles, mandatory reporting of serious incidents, progressively stronger safeguards as capability increases, and simultaneous investment in sovereign AI capacity for developing economy countries.

“We support continued scientific cooperation in initiatives such as the BRICS Intelligent Telescope and Data Network and the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre,” he explained.

The President added that the capabilities of artificial intelligence models were becoming more powerful and rapidly reshaping almost every area of economic and social life.

“We must strengthen medical sovereignty, vaccine development, genomic surveillance and diagnostic capabilities for the Global South. We must work together to transform agriculture through innovation.

“Economic and financial cooperation is at the centre of the resilience we seek. South Africa supports a balanced and gradual expansion of the New Development Bank.”

This comes as South Africa welcomed continued discussions on the proposed New Investment Platform and the BRICS Multilateral Guarantees initiative.

“BRICS must press ahead with greater use of local currencies, stronger cross-border payment systems and deeper financial interconnectivity. As BRICS enters its third decade, it should be more ambitious.

“Our engagement with Partner Countries should spur deeper cooperation, particularly in public health, education, science and technology, finance and trade,” said the President.

20 years of BRICSThe President said the 20th anniversary of BRICS was a moment to reaffirm its commitment to deeper cooperation and a more ambitious agenda, ranging from science, technology and innovation to sustainable development and economic transformation.

“We live in a rapidly changing world that contains both risks and opportunities. The achievement of inclusive growth requires that we address persistent global challenges such as poverty and inequality, while responding to the devastating effects of climate change and the rapid advances in artificial intelligence.

“The increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters threaten to reverse hard-won development gains and deepen inequality. Resilience is therefore essential for inclusive growth and human development,” Ramaphosa said.

He commended India for prioritising resilience, which he said was directly linked to the Disaster Risk Reduction outcomes of South Africa’s G20 Presidency.

“We must integrate disaster risk reduction into macroeconomic policy, climate financing and sustainable infrastructure. Vulnerable countries must have equitable access to the technologies, finance and capacity to withstand future shocks,” Ramaphosa said.

He emphasised that the global energy transition must prioritise reskilling, protect livelihoods and anchor new industries that generate quality jobs.

“It is important that markets for critical minerals and transition technologies are built on transparency, and that value chains are diversified and responsible.“To ensure inclusive growth in Africa and other regions of the world, beneficiation of minerals must take place at source,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa arrived in India to attend the 18th BRICS Summit on Friday, with the Presidency saying South Africa will use the Summit to advance its diplomatic and economic priorities.The President also addressed the BRICS Business Forum on Friday, where he said the ambition of governments and business communities must extend beyond increasing intra-BRICS trade to deepening productive relationships between economies.

On Saturday, the President called on BRICS countries to strengthen multilateralism through reform and action. The President was speaking during a closed session on Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism.READ | President calls on BRICS to strengthen multilateral orderEarlier on Saturday, President Ramaphosa addressed the India-South Africa Business Leadership Roundtable.

The Summit which began on Saturday, also saw the release of the adopted New Delhi Declaration.

READ | BRICS to strengthen cooperation in ICTs