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Perspectives on South Africa’s open science policy: artificial intelligence and data ownership as unresolved questions

delete2026-06-08
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PRE
AI
D
Donrich Thaldar
N
Nyna Amin
S
Siddharthiya Pillay *
J
Janet Bruce-Brand
S
Siyabonga Dlamini
R
Reginald Govender
S
Salina Govindsamy
W
Wayne Hugo
L
Lucinda Kok
N
Neil Koorbanally
DOI：10.1093/scipol/scag057delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
South Africa’s National Open Science Policy, approved in 2026, promotes open science through incentives rather than state control. However, the policy leaves two foundational questions unresolved. First, it makes no reference to artificial intelligence (AI), despite AI being an increasingly popular means by which research data is now produced, curated, and analysed across contemporary scientific practice. Second, it does not address who owns research data, confining its treatment of property rights to intellectual property and ignoring common-law ownership. These omissions converge at a single critical point: the ownership of AI-generated research outputs. We argue that without resolving these foundational questions, the policy’s vision of open science risks remaining aspirational rather than achievable.

Journal

Science and Public Policy cover
Science and Public Policy
IF:
2.3
Papers:
180
Citations:
3.1K

Organization

U
university of pretoria
Scholars:
1.1W
Papers: 9.7K
Citations: 6
U
university of kwazulu-natal
Scholars:
519
Papers: 258
Citations: 0
Cited Papers

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Citing Papers

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