Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
artificial intelligencelatest news & developments

Reconfiguring South Africa's Education System for Meaningful Participation in an AI-Driven World

South Africa's education system faces scrutiny for its inability to equip graduates with industry-aligned skills, contributing to youth unemployment. As AI and digital…

Soweto Class of 2026 gripped by AI

Fifty years after the June 16, 1976 Uprising, the Class of 2026 in Soweto is focused on mastering artificial intelligence. This shift comes as former SA statistician-general Dr…

Singularity Summit South Africa 2026 deepens the conversation on quantum computing, AI and human potential

As quantum computing edges closer to practical reality and artificial intelligence continues to accelerate, Singularity South Africa has announced another wave of influential…

Yoco launches its biggest update yet

Yoco announces its most significant product launch to date, introducing over 20 new features, a major rate cut, and a first look at Yoco AI. This marks the company's evolution…

Pope Leo is calling upon our African youth to be more vigilant about AI’s risks to humanity, to use it responsibly and institute AI governance tenets to avoid getting lost in agendas of transhumanism and post-humanism.

‘Magnifica Humanitas’: What Pope Leo XIV’s theological document about AI means to Africa’s Gen Z

Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas," released in May 2025, is sparking global debate. This theological document, a new social doctrine of the Catholic Church,…

There is No “AI” in the Courtroom

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly seen as a cheaper alternative to professional services, but when it comes to legal advice, the risks of relying on AI are significant.…

AI-driven: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani provides one of the clearest examples of how digital mobilisation and targeted online engagement can outweigh traditional displays of political strength. Photo: Supplied

AI and the battle for SA’s 2026 elections

This does not necessarily mean that physical campaigning will disappear. Politics remains fundamentally human. Voters still value personal interaction, community engagement and…

Aerial view of the Google data center at Eemshaven,
Netherlands, surrounded by wind turbines and a nearby
power plant. As AI expands, data centers like this require
large amounts of electricity, making energy supply a key
challenge -Aerial view of the Google data center at Eemshaven,
Netherlands, surrounded by wind turbines and a nearby
power plant. As AI expands, data centers like this require
large amounts of electricity, making energy supply a key
challenge. Photo by Wvdp

AI’s hidden environmental cost: UN report flags massive water, energy and land footprint

AI’s rapid growth is driving major water, energy, land and e-waste impacts, raising environmental justice concerns worldwide

On AI itself, Pope Leo calls for technological projects that protect what he describes as the grandeur of humanity. He warns against reducing people to measurable outputs, predictive profiles or behavioural categories.

Pope Leo’s AI encyclical and the urgent need for human leadership

He warns against reducing people to measurable outputs, predictive profiles or behavioural categories. Once technology becomes the standard by which human beings are judged, it…

Music tool: Siya Mthembu says society’s anxiety around AI reflects a long history of fear surrounding new technologies.

Can you hear the difference? AI music challenges the meaning of authenticity

AI is transforming music production, but growing concerns over transparency, artistry, and human creativity are reshaping the future of the industry

Labour market: AI and automation are reshaping the labour market.

Reflections on workers’ regression, resistance and renewal

With millions of South Africans unemployed — particularly young people — employers wield enormous power. The message is clear: “If you don’t accept these conditions, there are…

Drones have the potential to intensify destruction in modern warfare. The ongoing conflict between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese government serves as a  case in point.

Africa must address the strategic impact of drones on future wars to preserve peace

New and emerging technologies should serve peace, not conflict

Travel: Visitor numbers are rising again and airports like OR Tambo are getting busier. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

Tourism must be SA’s defining story

Although global instability may temporarily redirect travel flows, the real opportunity lies not in benefiting from conflict elsewhere but in ensuring that South Africa becomes a…

Modernisation: Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe at the Investing in African Mining
Indaba 2026. Photo: Mining Indaba

AI funding set to bring mining into 21st century

Minerals Minister Gwede Mantashe says the country faces challenges in developing an effective system for exploration and mining licences

With or against us: AI can enhance the efficacy of various clean energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biofuels and hydroelectric power.

Is artificial intelligence a friend or foe?

The technology is both a problem and a solution

Positive impact: AI can serve as a tireless tutor available 24/7 that adapts to each student’s pace and learning style and could even offer
explanations in their native language. Photo: File

Harnessing AI for equitable access in education, healthcare

It must be noted that the role of AI is not to tell the farmer that their ancestral knowledge is wrong but a tool to enhance that knowledge with information they couldn’t…

Quoted in this new book, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has
called for all hands on deck towards the attainment of all SDG targets by
2030

Gearing to meet SDG goals

Sustainable Development Goals’ state of play: Why humanity is failing on the journey to 2030

The future of AI in healthcare depends not on how advanced our algorithms become, but on how wisely we use them. (Canva)

The ethical pulse of progress: AI’s promise and peril in healthcare

Bias in healthcare AI isn’t just a technical flaw; it’s an ethical hazard with real-world consequences for patient trust and equity

AFRICAN GIANT: Given its unique position in terms of technological advancement, South Africa stands to be
the industry leader on the continent. Photo: Freepik

How South Africa can shape the continent’s digital future

As one of Africa’s most industrialised and connected economies, the country is in a unique position to lead by example by building a tech ecosystem that benefits everyone

Graphic: John McCann

Technology is reshaping, not replacing, human value

Automation is freeing people to focus on areas that truly require human intelligence in the form of creativity, innovation, empathy and problem-solving