One in three South Africans have never heard of AI: why that should worry us

If artificial intelligence is reshaping credit, healthcare and jobs, but most people don’t even have the words to talk about it, democracy has a problem.

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I write about various issues of interest to me that I want to bring to the reader’s attention. While my main work is in Artificial Intelligence and technology, I also cover areas around politics, education, and the future of our children.

A recent national survey found that one in three South Africans have never heard of “artificial intelligence”, and another third have heard the term but know almost nothing about it. This is happening at the very moment when AI systems are quietly shaping access to credit, healthcare, information and jobs. Algorithms already influence who gets a loan, which CVs are shortlisted, what content appears in our feeds, and how public services are targeted.

The people most affected by these systems are often the least equipped to understand, question or challenge them. In this article, I want to unpack what the survey tells us, why it matters for democracy and education, and what it means for a country that aspires to “human-centred” AI when so many humans are not even in the conversation.

CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND

The AI module of the 2023 National Social Attitudes Survey interviewed over 3 000 South Africans aged 16 and older, across all provinces and in respondents’ preferred official languages. The topline finding is stark: 37% had never heard the term “artificial intelligence”, and a further 36% had heard of it but knew very little about what it is or how it already affects their lives. In other words, roughly three-quarters of the population either have no awareness or only a hazy idea of AI.

Equally revealing is where people say they first heard about AI. The vast majority cite social media. Only a tiny minority mention school, college or university, and an even smaller share say they learnt about AI at work. Formal education and professional training are barely visible in this picture. For most South Africans, AI is something glimpsed in passing on TikTok, YouTube or WhatsApp, not something explained in a classroom or a workplace training session.

INSIGHT AND ANALYSIS

This awareness gap sits uneasily alongside our policy ambitions. South Africa already has an AI Policy Framework and is working on a National AI Strategy. These documents speak the language of “inclusive, human-centred AI” and “public participation”. Yet the survey shows that the public, in any meaningful sense, is not yet equipped to participate. Without basic vocabulary and confidence, democratic oversight risks becoming a conversation between government, corporates and a small expert class.

The data also describe a divided future. On one side, children and young adults in better-resourced schools and families are experimenting with chatbots, AI coding assistants and smart devices. On the other, millions of young people live in a world where the term “AI” itself is unfamiliar, even though AI-driven systems may already be scoring their credit, ranking their job applications or shaping what they see online. Those who cannot name or understand these systems are more likely to be subjected to them rather than co-shaping how they are used.

Uncertainty and low information create fertile ground for hype, fear and exploitation. If your only exposure to AI is a viral video or a forwarded voice note, you are more vulnerable to scams and to simplistic narratives about “robots stealing jobs” or “magic solutions” to service delivery. At the same time, the survey shows that many people have cautious hopes for AI in areas like healthcare, education and job creation, provided there are clear guardrails and human oversight. The challenge is to move from vague hope or anxiety to informed, active engagement.

IMPLICATIONS

For policymakers, the message is clear: AI literacy is not a luxury add-on, it is a public good. Investing in community-level awareness campaigns, multilingual information about how AI is used in welfare, policing, healthcare and financial services, and simple explanations of people’s rights around data and profiling should sit alongside tax incentives and innovation funds. Regulators and oversight bodies will need to communicate in plain language if they want citizens to exercise those rights meaningfully.

For education, the priorities are equally urgent. Basic AI concepts and critical digital literacy should be woven into school curricula, not treated as optional extras for tech-minded learners. Teachers and TVET lecturers need accessible training and resources so they can act as multipliers of understanding, not bystanders. Adult education and workplace programmes are essential to help older workers adapt to AI-related changes in labour markets. Storytelling, theatre, radio dramas and community workshops can make AI tangible for people who will never read a policy brief.

CLOSING TAKEAWAY

The idea that one in three South Africans have never heard of AI, and most of the rest know almost nothing about it, should unsettle us. It tells us that powerful systems are being rolled out in a society where many people lack even the language to ask basic questions. If we care about democracy, fairness and the future of our children, we cannot allow AI to become something that is done to people, rather than with them.

Closing the awareness gap will not happen overnight, but it starts with a simple conviction: understanding how these systems work and how they affect us is not just for engineers and policymakers. It is part of what it means to be an informed citizen in the 21st century.

Author Bio: Johan Steyn is a prominent AI thought leader, speaker, and author with a deep understanding of artificial intelligence’s impact on business and society. He is passionate about ethical AI development and its role in shaping a better future. Find out more about Johan’s work at https://www.aiforbusiness.net