AI in daily life: elections, work, and trust

Writing in Business Day, Letlhokwa George Mpedi argues that South Africa's upcoming local elections face a growing threat from AI-generated fake video and audio (known as deepfakes), which could be used to spread false information in closely contested wards where even small shifts in voter perception can decide outcomes. The country's existing legal and regulatory framework was not designed with this technology in mind, leaving electoral authorities reliant on improvised, short-term measures rather than purpose-built protections. The piece raises questions about whether South Africa's institutions can move quickly enough to safeguard the integrity of the vote.

AI systems used to make or inform employment decisions carry a real risk of discrimination, because they learn from historical data that may already reflect entrenched bias, according to IT News Africa. The piece examines how South Africa's Employment Equity Act applies in this context, covering decisions on hiring, promotion, performance assessment, and pay. For South African employers, the analysis points to concrete legal obligations that arise when AI tools are brought into the workplace.

Absa has disclosed that 1 400 of its developers now use AI-assisted coding tools, which help write and review software automatically, while a separate AI chatbot handles 100 000 customer queries every month, according to TechCentral. The figures give a concrete sense of how deeply one of South Africa's largest banks has embedded the technology into both its engineering work and its customer service operations. For South African workers and banking customers, the scale of the rollout raises practical questions about how these tools affect developer roles and the quality of automated support.

A Cisco survey of more than 2 500 chief executives worldwide, including leaders in African markets, finds that 67 percent are worried their organisations are not spending enough on AI, up from 57 percent the previous year. Deploying AI agents (software that can carry out tasks with some autonomy) alongside employees ranks among the top three priorities for 2026, though 74 percent of CEOs expect these systems to operate under human oversight rather than independently. Cisco's newly appointed managing director for Africa says the continent's leaders see AI as a chance to leapfrog existing limitations, but warns that infrastructure gaps, fragmented data, and security concerns remain the main barriers to scaling successfully.

South Africa's used car dealer association has warned consumers about a rise in AI-enabled fraud in the second-hand vehicle market, according to Business Day. Scammers are using AI tools to generate convincing fake listings and copy the identities of real sellers or dealers to deceive buyers. The warning is a practical reminder that the same technology used to automate legitimate tasks can be turned to fraud, and that South African car buyers should verify sellers carefully before parting with money.

Relying on AI tools to produce knowledge work can quietly erode the critical thinking that gives that work its value, according to an academic commentary republished by Stuff South Africa. The piece points to South Africa's Draft National AI Policy, which had to be withdrawn earlier this year after reviewers found it contained citations to journal articles and authors that do not exist, as a local example of what happens when AI-generated output goes unchecked. Drawing on a 2025 University of Melbourne and KPMG survey of more than 48,000 people across 47 countries, the article argues that speed-driven AI adoption, combined with a lack of training and oversight, is replacing genuine knowledge creation with low-quality automated output, a pattern with direct implications for South African workplaces and public institutions.

Business Day reports that AI-assisted translations, produced using machine translation tools rather than human translators, are appearing in growing numbers on online book retail platforms, often without clear disclosure to buyers. The piece advises readers on how to spot these works. For South Africa, where authors and translators work across eleven official languages and a range of indigenous ones, the trend raises questions about quality, fair labelling, and the livelihoods of professional translators.