NWU leads the way with policy that gives students green light for smart AI use

While many South African universities still navigate the uncertainty of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) through temporary guidelines and frameworks, North-West University (NWU) has officially moved from suggestion to university law.

As of the 2026 academic year, the institution is the first in the country to implement a formal, council-approved AI Policy.

According to Prof Anné Verhoef, the director of the university’s AI Hub, the move to a formal policy was essential to protect both staff and students.

“Guidelines are things on paper, but they are not rules yet,” Verhoef explained. “It creates uncertainty if you don’t have them. Our policy creates a safe space where people feel confident.”

The framework establishes a formal five-level system to govern the use of AI in academic assignments. This structure provides clear parameters for students and faculty:

• Level one: Zero AI use permitted in invigilated, human-only environments.

• Level two: Use is restricted to brainstorming and discussion with no text generation.

• Level three: Use is permitted for editing and refining structure with tools like Grammarly.

• Level four: Collaborative use where students critique AI outputs to sharpen logic.

• Level five: Full integration of AI tools for high-level postgraduate research.

For students, in particular those in specialised fields, the policy provides a professional sense of reassurance.

Paballo Buthelezi, an honours student in corporate communication, views the technology as an assistant rather than a substitute. “Research at honours level is intensive,” Buthelezi said. “AI can help make certain aspects of the process more efficient.”

Buthelezi noted that she used the tools for grammar and structuring, allowing her to focus on analysis and argument development.

However, a gap remains in campus-wide communication. While the policy is a national milestone, many undergraduate students remain unaware of the specific regulations.

Several students interviewed by threestreamsmedia indicated they were not yet familiar with the five-level system, suggesting that the university’s transition from guidelines to law is still filtering down to the broader student body.