In June 2025 the Policy Innovation Lab ran four webinars on responsible AI in South African policymaking. Each day 100-150 officials, researchers and civil-society participants joined. The goal was simple: give public servants the knowledge and tools to use AI safely and effectively.

The first session stripped AI down to its essentials. Speakers showed how data, algorithms and infrastructure combine in systems that learn through supervised, unsupervised and reinforcement methods. By the end most attendees had moved from a basic to an intermediate grasp of key terms such as models, parameters and training.

Next the series set AI inside South Africa’s wider policy debate. The draft National AI Policy Framework of 2024 emphasises digital infrastructure, data governance and ethics. Attendees compared this with the EU’s risk-based AI Act, China’s top-down yet innovation-driven model and the United States’ sector-specific rules. The contrast helped officials see where local plans fit and what gaps remain.

Speakers then turned to bias, transparency and accountability. Examples of discriminatory policing tools and opaque visa algorithms showed the cost of poor oversight. The session called for public registers of government AI systems, procurement rules that demand explainable outputs and training so officials and citizens can challenge bad decisions.

The final webinar switched to practice. A case study on predictive policing in Bellville illustrated both promise and pitfalls. Demonstrations of large language models showed how chatbots can answer public queries in plain language and multiple languages, boosting trust and cutting queues. Participants built a no-code prototype and several departments asked for follow-up support.

AI is already reshaping areas from health to tax. This series proved that South African public servants and civil-society leaders are ready to guide that change. The Policy Innovation Lab will keep backing responsible, inclusive and practical AI so that future policy decisions are quicker, fairer and better informed.