26 April, just two weeks after South Africa’s draft AI policy was released for public comment after a process that began in 2020, South Africans woke up to astonishing news. Credibility through processThe credibility of any AI policy depends on two pillars. South Africa’s AI policy is facing a credibility challenge that goes beyond the withdrawal of the policy draft. Towards a people’s policyIn July, I contributed to the South African National AI Policy Dialogue at the University of Johannesburg. Public trust in the development of AI policy depends on the government taking people into its confidence about the processes and procedures it follows.