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Ramaphosa Urges Independent AI Oversight Mechanism Under BRICS
(MENAFN) South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called Sunday for BRICS to create an international body capable of independently assessing the scientific and technological development of artificial intelligence, warning that AI capabilities should not outpace humanity’s ability to understand, monitor and control them.
Speaking at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Ramaphosa said rapidly advancing AI systems could generate major gains in productivity and improve human development, while also creating serious risks if their deployment is not properly governed.
"The capabilities of artificial intelligence models are becoming increasingly more powerful and are rapidly reshaping almost every area of economic and social life," he said.
Ramaphosa said AI could contribute to reducing inequality, poverty and underdevelopment if it is deployed "effectively and responsibly." He pointed to potential applications across healthcare, education, scientific research and agriculture, saying the technology could significantly improve productivity and accelerate progress.
At the same time, he urged governments to take seriously the concerns raised by researchers and companies developing increasingly advanced AI systems. He warned that the technology could be used for sophisticated cyber operations, support the development of biological weapons, operate autonomously, manipulate people, enable large-scale surveillance and contribute to major disruptions in employment.
He also cautioned that future AI systems could eventually reach levels of capability that become increasingly difficult for humans to supervise effectively.
"We should therefore neither fear AI nor approach it recklessly," Ramaphosa said. "Our responsibility is to ensure that human governance advances as rapidly as artificial intelligence itself."
The South African president specifically endorsed calls from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei for stronger independent oversight of companies developing advanced AI technologies. He argued that developers should be subject to external scrutiny rather than relying solely on internal safeguards.
"We agree with those in the industry, in the AI industry, that is, such as Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, who are arguing that AI companies should be subject to formal external checks, to audits and to government authority," he said.
Ramaphosa noted that independent oversight is already widely used in sectors where technological or commercial activities can have significant consequences for public safety and well-being. He cited aviation, pharmaceuticals, nuclear energy and financial institutions as examples where external regulation and supervision are considered necessary.
Drawing a line between technological innovation and human oversight, he stressed that governments must ensure that AI development remains within a framework that humans can understand and manage.
"We must never reach a situation where technological capability has moved beyond our capacity to understand it, supervise it and control it," he said.
Ramaphosa proposed that BRICS establish an international mechanism dedicated to the independent scientific evaluation of AI systems. He said the framework should be built around "meaningful human control principles" and include mandatory reporting requirements for serious AI-related incidents.
He also advocated gradually stronger safeguards as AI systems become more capable, arguing that regulatory protections should evolve alongside technological advances. In addition, he called for greater investment in sovereign AI capabilities in developing countries to ensure that emerging economies can participate in the technology’s development rather than remaining dependent on external providers.
Ramaphosa further welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s proposal to establish an AI ecosystem for BRICS. He said South Africa supports the initiative, which he indicated could strengthen cooperation among member states in developing and governing artificial intelligence.
Speaking at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Ramaphosa said rapidly advancing AI systems could generate major gains in productivity and improve human development, while also creating serious risks if their deployment is not properly governed.
"The capabilities of artificial intelligence models are becoming increasingly more powerful and are rapidly reshaping almost every area of economic and social life," he said.
Ramaphosa said AI could contribute to reducing inequality, poverty and underdevelopment if it is deployed "effectively and responsibly." He pointed to potential applications across healthcare, education, scientific research and agriculture, saying the technology could significantly improve productivity and accelerate progress.
At the same time, he urged governments to take seriously the concerns raised by researchers and companies developing increasingly advanced AI systems. He warned that the technology could be used for sophisticated cyber operations, support the development of biological weapons, operate autonomously, manipulate people, enable large-scale surveillance and contribute to major disruptions in employment.
He also cautioned that future AI systems could eventually reach levels of capability that become increasingly difficult for humans to supervise effectively.
"We should therefore neither fear AI nor approach it recklessly," Ramaphosa said. "Our responsibility is to ensure that human governance advances as rapidly as artificial intelligence itself."
The South African president specifically endorsed calls from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei for stronger independent oversight of companies developing advanced AI technologies. He argued that developers should be subject to external scrutiny rather than relying solely on internal safeguards.
"We agree with those in the industry, in the AI industry, that is, such as Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, who are arguing that AI companies should be subject to formal external checks, to audits and to government authority," he said.
Ramaphosa noted that independent oversight is already widely used in sectors where technological or commercial activities can have significant consequences for public safety and well-being. He cited aviation, pharmaceuticals, nuclear energy and financial institutions as examples where external regulation and supervision are considered necessary.
Drawing a line between technological innovation and human oversight, he stressed that governments must ensure that AI development remains within a framework that humans can understand and manage.
"We must never reach a situation where technological capability has moved beyond our capacity to understand it, supervise it and control it," he said.
Ramaphosa proposed that BRICS establish an international mechanism dedicated to the independent scientific evaluation of AI systems. He said the framework should be built around "meaningful human control principles" and include mandatory reporting requirements for serious AI-related incidents.
He also advocated gradually stronger safeguards as AI systems become more capable, arguing that regulatory protections should evolve alongside technological advances. In addition, he called for greater investment in sovereign AI capabilities in developing countries to ensure that emerging economies can participate in the technology’s development rather than remaining dependent on external providers.
Ramaphosa further welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s proposal to establish an AI ecosystem for BRICS. He said South Africa supports the initiative, which he indicated could strengthen cooperation among member states in developing and governing artificial intelligence.
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