lubinga Stellah
Biography
Research Interest
Digital Governance, Service Delivery; Citizenship and Democracy
Abstract
Machine-Generated Language and Democratic Governance in South Africa: Navigating Trust, Transparency, and Citizen Agency in the AI Era
As artificial intelligence (AI) systems, particularly those powered by natural language processing and large language models, gain traction in governance processes globally, African democracies are increasingly encountering both the promise and the peril of machine-generated language. From digital government chatbots and AI-driven policy drafting tools to multilingual translation engines, these technologies are shaping how citizens interact with the state, how policies are communicated, and how democratic participation is mediated. This paper critically examines the implications of machine-generated language for transparency, trust, and citizen agency within the context of African governance. It raises urgent questions: What risks arise when algorithmically generated outputs substitute for human dialogue in citizen-state engagement? And to what extent can machine-generated content uphold democratic values such as inclusivity, equity, and accountability in governance? Drawing on literature, the paper identifies challenges including digital language bias, the exclusion of indigenous languages, and the opacity of AI-generated narratives. It also highlights opportunities for innovation in public communication, civic education, and participatory governance if local contexts, languages, and ethical frameworks are meaningfully integrated. The paper concludes by proposing a set of guiding principles for the responsible deployment of AI language tools in African democratic settings, emphasising algorithmic transparency and co-designed civic engagement mechanisms to safeguard citizen agency in the digital age.
