The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is suspending two senior officials with immediate effect following the detection of apparent artificial intelligence (AI) “hallucinations” cited as references appended to the recently Cabinet-approved Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection.
In a statement yesterday, the department said the precautionary suspension of a chief director in the relevant unit was carried out in the afternoon (Thursday), while the suspension of a director involved in the drafting process will be effected on Monday.
It notes that in addition to implementing precautionary suspensions, the department has appointed two independent law firms to respectively manage the disciplinary process and review all policy documents produced by the department dating back to 30 November 2022, when the first large language model was released to the general public.
Last month, Home Affairs minister, Dr Leon Schreiber, welcomed Cabinet’s approval of the Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection.
Key changes of the white paper include stricter asylum rules through a “first safe country” principle, limiting claims from migrants who passed through or found protection elsewhere, alongside regional cooperation agreements.
Citizenship reforms introduce a merit-based system with objective criteria, application windows and and a points framework. Immigration updates align visas with economic priorities, adding categories for remote work and skilled workers, supported by a digital application system. Civil registration reforms will modernise the population register into a digital, biometric-enabled platform to improve governance and service delivery.
Moving forward, the DHA adds, the department will also design and implement AI checks and declarations as part of its internal approval processes.
“Based on the department’s initial internal review, the problem appears to be related to the list of references appended to the Revised White Paper,” says the DHA.
“It seems that these references were generated and attached to the document after the fact, as they are not cited in the body of the text. Consequently, the department has withdrawn the reference list, pending the finalisation of the independent probe to determine how the hallucinations came to be added to the list.”
However, it points out that the body of the Revised White Paper continues to accurately reflect the government’s position on the policy reforms required in these domains.
The department explains that these measures came about through an extensive process of cross-departmental collaboration and public consultation, and are not materially affected by the apparent AI hallucinations contained in the standalone reference list.
“The department nonetheless sincerely apologises for this unacceptable oversight. The immediate implementation of precautionary suspensions and independent review processes, as well as internal reforms, reflects our commitment to taking any and all steps required to rectify the situation, and avoid any repeats in future.
“At the same time, the department recognises the benefits of AI and that it is being widely adopted across society. It is a transformative but disruptive technology that is changing how organisations operate across the private and public sectors. We must now adapt to keep up. While regretting the embarrassment caused, the Department of Home Affairs is not only taking immediate corrective action but also regards this painful experience as an opportunity to further modernise our internal processes in order to keep pace with a rapidly changing world,” it says.
In a related matter, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies yesterday also placed two unnamed officials on precautionary suspension with immediate effect, pending the ongoing investigation into the Draft National AI Policy.
This, after minister Solly Malatsi recently withdrew the draft policy from public consultation following revelations that fictitious references were used during the policy development process.
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