An overseas trend of new laws governing AI could soon affect local companies and IT leaders. To gain a better understanding from an African context, CIO South Africa sought views from Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) CIO Eugene Vanderlingen.
The newly passed EU AI Act is poised to fundamentally reshape how technologists approach the development and deployment of AI systems. Beyond the technical frameworks, the legislation also mandates that employees interacting with AI tools possess a foundational level of AI literacy.
While regulation is often perceived as a constraint on innovation, Eugene Vanderlingen argues that it can serve as a catalyst for ethical, human-centric AI design.
Eugene believes that organisations and IT leaders have to masterfully blend and design rules that don’t stifle breakthroughs, but still follow good ethical considerations. “AI’s potential to drive economic growth is massive. The push for rapid innovation often comes from market demands and competitive pressures, with companies racing to deploy AI solutions that deliver results fast,” he adds.
According to Eugene, implementing robust AI auditing and accountability mechanisms requires clear standards, comprehensive frameworks and third-party evaluations.
“Ensuring fairness and equity involves diverse perspectives, impact assessments, and stakeholder engagement. International collaboration and regulatory enforcement set global standards, while education and public awareness foster an inclusive AI ecosystem,” he points out.
Cultivating AI literacy through education
To position African talent for success, it is essential to provide training opportunities for employees. “Our objective is to enhance AI literacy by providing education and access to appropriate tools. Our main focus is on training employees and advocating for the ethical use of AI technology,” Eugene explains.
A recurring trend with the rise of new technologies is the exclusion of underserved communities, who are too often left behind in the digital shift.
“Strategies to address this include promoting regional collaboration to pool resources, such as shared AI expertise and datasets and tools in local languages, which can benefit under-resourced areas,” says Eugene.
“To foster inclusivity, it is essential to prioritise the development of AI capabilities through investments in digital infrastructure and education, ensuring that communities with limited resources are not neglected,” he continues.
EU AI Act to have global implications
The new EU AI Act is being put in place to ensure AI literacy. Although sections of the EU AI Act already came into effect on 2 February 2025, it will be rolled out in phases. Here are some of the key dates to keep in mind:
- 2 May 2025: Codes of practice for General Purpose AI (GPAI) were set to be finalised but the EU AI Office missed the deadline and have now earmarked August 2025 as the new finalisation date. These codes of practice are being developed with input from EU member states and coordinated by the AI Office.
- 2 August 2025: Twelve months after the Act’s initial enforcement, additional rules will come into effect. These include requirements related to authority notifications, governance structures, general-purpose AI, and penalties (excluding fines for GPAI providers).
- 2 February 2026: The European Commission will publish guidelines detailing how to practically implement post-market monitoring obligations.
Article 4 of the EU AI Act stipulates that providers and deployers of AI systems shall take measures to ensure, to their best extent, a sufficient level of AI literacy of their employees and other persons dealing with the operation and use of AI systems on their behalf, taking into account their technical knowledge, experience, education and training and the context the AI systems are to be used in, and considering the persons or groups of persons on whom the AI systems are to be used.
This regulation is not just a European concern. It has global implications, especially for organisations with cross-border ambitions or operating in digitally connected economies like South Africa.
