At EthicEdge, we believe strong ethical leadership begins with deep intellectual foundations. This month, we are proud to celebrate a major milestone achieved by our co-director, Dr Kristy Claassen, who recently attained her PhD from the University of Twente. Kristy successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, Being Human: Evaluating Artificial Intelligence Through the Lens of Ubuntu, in April 2026. This achievement marks the culmination of years of dedicated research int

A common misunderstanding is that AI ethics stifles AI innovation, slowing deployment of AI products to market. While organisations may intuitively understand the importance of ethics in their operations and products, this misunderstanding usually leads to shortcuts and ethics white-washing through checklists and equating ethics to law compliance. When ethical concerns arise after deployment it usually turns out to be very costly, both in monetary and reputational terms. On t

The recent fallout between Anthropic and the US Department of War shows one thing clearly: the global debate on military AI is no longer abstract. It is political. It is urgent. And Africa is part of it. Across the continent, we are already moving. South Africa has launched DAIRU, Africa’s first military‑focused AI research unit ( https://saaiassociation.co.za/defence-artificial-intelligence-research-unit-dairu-opens-in-south-africa). Kenya is emerging as a leader in respons

AI is no longer something on the horizon. It is already shaping how we work, learn, govern, and relate to one another. If you are reading this blog post, it likely means that you are already thinking about AI ethics. You are possibly questioning its necessity, its relevance to your work, or how it applies to your organisation. That, in itself, is a very good place to start. As AI becomes more deeply embedded in business, education, and public life, one thing is increasingly c

EthicEdge co-founder and co-director, Dr Cindy Friedman, recently represented South Africa at the G20 Culture Working Group Side Event on Economic and Digital Rights in the Cultural and Creative Sector, held in KwaZulu-Natal on 24 October. The event convened global thought-leaders, policymakers and creatives to explore how culture, technology and rights intersect, and how human creativity must be protected in a rapidly shifting digital economy. Dr Friedman was invited to join

On 11 October 2025, Dr Cindy Friedman, co-founder and co-director of EthicEdge, gave a presentation at the Data & AI Community Day Durban. The event brought together an incredible mix of researchers, professionals, and innovators who are all actively shaping the future of artificial intelligence in South Africa. Durban has a thriving AI scene and we, at EthicEdge, are so grateful to be a part of this growing and collaborative community. Diverse audience and rich conversations

In a recent LinkedIn post , Dumisani Sondlo promised that after the mid‑October cabinet meeting, the Working Group of the Development of...

The AI landscape in South Africa is evolving rapidly, and the recent launch of the AI Collective’s Durban chapter on 18 September 2025 ...