I-plasma emshinini wokuhlanganisa ama-nucleus ingashintsha ngokushesha kakhulu kunesikhathi umuntu angasabela ngaso. E-DIII-D National Fusion Facility e-United States, uhlelo olusha olwakhiwe yi-Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory kanye ne-Princeton University ludlulisela ingxenye yalokho kulawula kumamodeli obuhlakani bokwenziwa.

I-PACMAN — Prediction And Control using MAchiNe learning — yahlolwa ezivivinyweni ezinhlanu zangempela. Umjikelezo wayo ophelele wokubheka, ukubikezela nokwenza uthatha cishe ama-millisecond angu-20. Kwesinye isivivinyo yabikezela ukungazinzi kwe-plasma cishe ama-millisecond angu-200 ngaphambi kokuba kwenzeke, yashintsha izimo ukuze ikuvimbele. Kwesinye yaxhumanisa ngesikhathi esisodwa wonke ama-gyrotron ayisithupha asetshenziselwa ukufudumeza i-plasma. 1

Lokhu akusho ukuthi umshini usuthathe indawo yabantu abasebenzisa lesi sikhungo. Uhlelo lunemikhawulo yezinto eziphathekayo amamodeli angeke ayeqe, kanti abantu basaqhubeka nokuchaza izinhloso nemingcele yokusebenza ejwayelekile. Kodwa lokhu kuveza umehluko obalulekile. Kunezimo lapho ukugcina igunya labantu kungasakwazi ukusho ukugunyaza isinqumo ngasinye. Ngesikhathi umuntu esengakwazi ukungenelela, isehlakalo siyobe sesenzekile.

Ngakho umbuzo usuka ekutheni ubani ocindezela inkinobho uye ekutheni ubani obeka kusengaphambili imingcele umshini ongathatha izinqumo ngaphakathi kwayo.

Lolu shintsho lubonakala lukude nalokho okwenzeka eNingizimu Afrika. Kodwa nalapho igunya lisetshenziswa ngaphambi kokuba uhlelo luqale ukusebenza. Emshinini wokuhlanganisa ama-nucleus, libonakala ngemikhawulo yezinto eziphathekayo nemingcele yokulawula. Esikhungweni sedatha, libonakala ngezimvume, ukuxhunywa kukagesi, umhlaba nokutholakala kwamanzi. Kuzo zombili lezi zimo, ingxenye ebalulekile yokuphatha yenzeka ngaphambi kwesinqumo esizenzakalelayo.

Ifu lithatha indawo emhlabeni

INingizimu Afrika inomthamo ocishe ube ngu-70% wawo wonke umthamo wezikhungo zedatha ezwenikazi, ngokwesibalo esisetshenziswe nguMongameli Cyril Ramaphosa. Ukwanda kwalezi zikhungo kuhehe izinkampani ezinkulu zamazwe ngamazwe, kwenza izwe laba ngenye yezindawo ezibalulekile zengqalasizinda yedijithali yase-Afrika. 2

Kuvule nengxoxo ngezinsiza ezidingwa yile ngqalasizinda.

Kulo nyaka, i-South African Human Rights Commission, okuyiKhomishini Yamalungelo Abantu yaseNingizimu Afrika, iqale inqubo ethile yokubheka imiphumela yezikhungo zedatha emalungelweni abantu. Ukubonisana kwamukele imibono nemibhalo engaphezu kuka-250. Izindaba eziphakanyisiwe zihlanganisa ukusetshenziswa kukagesi namanzi, ukusetshenziswa komhlaba, imithelela kwezemvelo nokungabi khona kolwazi lomphakathi oluhambisanayo ngokwanele ngalezi zinsiza. 23

Izinhlangano ezinhlanu zomphakathi — i-Housing Assembly, i-Foxglove, i-Open Secrets, i-Research + Action kanye ne-Planetary AI Collective — zicele uphenyo lukazwelonke oluvulekele umphakathi. Zicele nokuthi kucatshangelwe ukumiswa kwesikhashana kokugunyazwa kwezikhungo ezintsha ezinkulu kakhulu, ezibizwa nge-hyperscale, kuze kube khona uhlaka lokulawula nokuhlolwa okuzimele kwezindleko nezinzuzo zazo. 4

Umbiko wazo ulinganisela ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika isivele inezikhungo ezaziwayo ezingaphezu kuka-60 nomthamo obikiwe olinganiselwa kuma-MW angu-500. Uthi futhi, uma kusetshenziswa indlela yokupholisa ejwayelekile kule mboni, izikhungo ze-Equinix ezigunyaziwe eKapa zingase zisebenzise amalitha amanzi angaphezu kwezigidigidi ezingu-4,4 ngonyaka. Lezi yizilinganiso zezinhlangano ezifaka isikhalazo, hhayi izilinganiso zamanzi asetshenziswe ngempela, futhi kufanele zifundwe kanjalo. 4

Imboni iyaphikisana nezingxenye zalokhu kuhlaziywa. Ikhomba ukwanda kokusetshenziswa kwamandla avuselelekayo nobuchwepheshe obuhlose ukunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kwamanzi. I-Eskom nayo ibike ukuthi ibe nomthamo kagesi oweqile ngesikhathi sakamuva sasebusika lapho isidingo besiphezulu khona, ngemva kweminyaka yokucishwa kukagesi okuhleliwe, noma load shedding. 2

Nokho, ingxoxo ebalulekile ayidingi ukuxazululwa ngokucabanga ukuthi izikhungo zedatha zilungile noma zimbi ngaso sonke isikhathi.

Umbuzo ungomunye. Ubani onquma ukuthi ungakanani umhlaba, amanzi nogesi okunganikelwa ekuguquleni izwe libe yingqalasizinda yokucubungula ngekhompyutha?

Empeleni, leso sinqumo sinezindlela eziphathekayo esenziwa ngazo. Sidlula ezimvumeni zokusebenzisa umhlaba, ezinhlakeni zezemvelo, ekutholakaleni kwamanzi nasekuxhumekeni kugridi kagesi, ezibophweni zokudalula ulwazi nasezindleleni zokuqapha. Izinhlangano ezinhlanu zifuna khona kanye uhlaka lukazwelonke, ukuhlolwa okuzimele namandla ezikhungo zomphakathi okuqapha ukusetshenziswa kwamanzi, ugesi nomhlaba ngaphambi kokuqhubeka nokwandisa izikhungo ze-hyperscale. 4

I-Housing Assembly iphinde ibeke lo mbuzo emlandweni omude. Le nhlangano ixhumanisa umbango womhlaba wasemadolobheni osendaweni efanele — eduze kwemisebenzi, izikole nezokuthutha — nokususwa kwemiphakathi iyiswe emaphethelweni amadolobha kusukela ngesikhathi sobandlululo. Ixwayisa ngokuthi lowo mhlaba, kanye namanzi nogesi amalungu ayo osekuyiminyaka ekufuna, manje kunikelwa ezikhungweni zedatha. 4

Lolu daba luqhubekisa ingxoxo yangaphambilini ye-AIthropology ngobukhosi bedijithali, ulwazi namandla okubeka imikhawulo (ngesi-Spanish). Ukuba namaseva, izikhungo zedatha noma amamodeli akho akusho kukodwa ukuthi unamandla okunquma imibandela ezisebenza ngaphansi kwayo.

Ukuthathwa kokuqukethwe kuqala ngaphambi kwesikhungo sedatha

Ekuqaleni kukaSepthemba kuvele elinye iqoqo ledatha eNingizimu Afrika elisivumela ukuba sibheke le nkinga sisuka kolunye uhlangothi lochungechunge.

Umbiko othi The Protocol Gap: South Africa, owenziwe yi-Media Leadership Think Tank yase-Gordon Institute of Business Science eNyuvesi yasePitoli, i-Journalism Relay Project kanye ne-International Fund for Public Interest Media, uhlole amafayela e-robots.txt emithombo yezindaba yaseNingizimu Afrika engu-263. 5

Kule mithombo yezindaba, engu-74,1% yayinalo leli fayela. Ngo-Ephreli 2026, engu-30,4% kuphela eyayivimba ngokusobala okungenani i-crawler eyodwa ye-AI, uma kuqhathaniswa nengu-29,7% eyabhalwa ngoDisemba 2025. I-crawler wuhlelo oluvakashela amawebhusayithi ngokuzenzakalelayo ukuze luqoqe okuqukethwe. Phakathi kwalezi zilinganiso ezimbili, ushintsho luncane kakhulu. Igebe lisekhona. 5

Kodwa isibalo esihlanganisiwe sifihla omunye umehluko.

Amandla okuhlonza ama-crawler, ukugcina imithetho isebenza nokuhlola imiphumela yayo agxile emaqenjini ezindaba anezinsiza eziningi. Imithombo yezindaba emincane, eyomphakathi, ezimele naleyo esebenzisa izilimi zendawo ngokuvamile isebenza ngamandla obuchwepheshe amancane. 56

Lokhu akusho ukuthi konke ukungavimbi kuwuphawu lokungabi namandla. Eminye imithombo yezindaba nayo inezizathu zebhizinisi zokuhlala ivulekile. Ukuthembela ezinjinini zokusesha nakwezinye izinkundla ukuze kufinyelelwe kubantu kuguqula isinqumo esibonakala singesobuchwepheshe sibe yisinqumo sezomnotho. Ukukhawulela ukusetshenziswa okuthile kungasho ukulahlekelwa ukubonakala. Kodwa ngisho nokuvumela kudinga ulwazi nokwahlulela kobuchwepheshe ukuze wazi ukuthi yini evunyelwayo. 56

Izibalo zokuvakashelwa kwamawebhusayithi zandisa lokhu kungalingani, nakuba umbiko ungafakazeli ukuthi i-AI iyona ebangele ngokuqondile ukwehla. Imithombo yezindaba ehamba phambili yaseNingizimu Afrika ilahlekelwe, ngokwesilinganiso, cishe ingxenye eyodwa kwezinhlanu yokuvakashelwa kwayo kwansuku zonke phakathi kukaMeyi 2025 noMeyi 2026. Futhi, ngokwezibalo ze-Competition Commission ezicashunwe embikweni, ama-chatbot e-AI athandwa kakhulu aletha ukuvakashelwa okungaphansi kancane kwezigidi ezimbili emithonjeni yezindaba yaseNingizimu Afrika engu-222 phakathi kukaJanuwari noMeyi 2025. Lokhu kungaphansi kuka-1% wokuvakashelwa okuyizigidi ezingu-256 okwabhalwa yilawo ma-chatbot ngaleso sikhathi. 56

Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-robots.txt ayiyona ingidi. Ngokuyisisekelo iyisitatimende esicela i-crawler ukuba ingangeni ezingxenyeni ezithile zewebhusayithi. Ukusebenza kwayo kuncike ekutheni umuntu noma inhlangano esebenzisa leyo crawler ikhetha ukuyihlonipha yini. 6

Ngakho ngisho nesenzo esibonakala silula sokuthi “angikugunyazi lokhu kuthathwa kokuqukethwe” sidinga ingqalasizinda.

Umehluko obalulekile awukho nje phakathi kwalabo abavimbayo nalabo abangavimbi. Uphakathi kwalabo abangakhetha inqubomgomo futhi bakwazi ukubhekana nemiphumela yayo, nalabo abaxoxisana ngalokho kukhetha besesimweni esibuthaka kakhulu.

Kube sekuvela ukuphikisana. Okuqukethwe okukhiqizwa yimithombo yezindaba yasendaweni noma ngezilimi ezingamelwe kakhulu emhlabeni wedijithali kungaba phakathi kwezinto eziyigugu kakhulu ekwakheni izinhlelo ezikwazi ukusebenza naleyo miphakathi nalezo zilimi. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, abantu abakhiqiza lokho okuqukethwe bangaba phakathi kwalabo abanamandla amancane kakhulu obuchwepheshe nawomnotho okuxoxisana ngemibandela yokusetshenziswa kwako.

Uchungechunge lonke

Lezi zimo ezintathu zibonakala zikhuluma ngezinto ezihlukene.

Umshini wokuhlola ukuhlanganiswa kwama-nucleus e-United States. Izikhungo zedatha eNingizimu Afrika. Ifayela lombhalo elinemigqa embalwa elibekwe enkombeni eyinhloko yewebhusayithi yephephandaba lasendaweni.

Kodwa zingafundwa njengezingxenye zengqalasizinda eyodwa.

I-AI idinga amandla okwenza. I-PACMAN ikhombisa okwenzekayo lapho lawo mandla kudingeka asebenze ngokushesha kunomuntu.

Idinga futhi amandla okucubungula ngekhompyutha. Izikhungo zedatha zikhombisa ukuthi lawo mandla athatha umhlaba, asebenzisa ugesi, adinga ukupholiswa futhi angena ezinhlelweni zezombusazwe okufanele zinqume ukuthi zizabiwa kanjani izinsiza ezinomkhawulo.

Futhi idinga izinto engafunda kuzo futhi ikhiqize ngazo izimpendulo. Imithombo yezindaba yaseNingizimu Afrika ikhombisa ukuthi namandla okunquma ukuthi lezo zinto zisakazeka kanjani awabiwanga ngokulinganayo.

Lezi zimo ezintathu ziphinde zibe nokufanayo: imingcele yokugunyazwa echazwe kusengaphambili. E-DIII-D, abantu babeke imikhawulo yezinto eziphathekayo i-PACMAN engathatha izinqumo ngaphakathi kwayo. Izikhungo zedatha zanda endaweni lapho izinhlangano eziye kwi-South African Human Rights Commission zithi leyo mikhawulo yokulawula ayikapheleli. Futhi ifayela le-robots.txt, ekugcineni, lisebenza kuphela ngokwezinga umuntu noma inhlangano esebenzisa i-crawler enquma kusengaphambili ukuyihlonipha ngalo. Umbuzo awugcini ngokuthi ubani owenza okuthile ngesikhathi esithile, kodwa uhlanganisa nokuthi ubani obhala imibandela ngaphambi kokuba ukusebenza kuqale.

Ngale ndlela, igunya labantu lisuka liye ezingxenyeni zangaphambili zochungechunge. Aligcini nje ngokungenelela lapho kwenzeka okuthile, kodwa lihlanganisa ukuba namandla okuchaza kusengaphambili ukuthi yini engenzeka, ngaziphi izinsiza nangaphansi kwayiphi imibandela.

Igama elithi “ubuhlakani” livame ukugxilisa ukunaka kwethu kumodeli. Kodwa ngaphambi kwemodeli kunabantu abasebenza ngobuntatheli, izinqolobane zolwazi, izintambo, amagridi kagesi, izinhlelo zokupholisa, izimvume zokuhlela ukusetshenziswa komhlaba, amanzi nomhlaba.

Ngemva kwemodeli kunamadivayisi aguqula imiyalo ibe yisenzo esiphathekayo, imishini, izinhlaka zokuphatha kanye nabantu abathintwa yimiphumela yezinqumo zayo.

Mhlawumbe yingakho i-anthropology yobuhlakani bokwenziwa kungafanele iqale ngokubuza kuphela ukuthi umshini wazini.

Kufanele ibuze ukuthi yibuphi ubudlelwano bezinto eziphathekayo obenza umshini ube nolwazi futhi ukwazi ukwenza, ubani ogcina lobo budlelwano busebenza, futhi ubani osagcina amandla okububekela imikhawulo.

Imithombo

[1] Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. (2026, 2 Septhemba). PACMAN AI framework for controlling fusion systems safely makes key decisions in milliseconds.
https://www.pppl.gov/news/2026/pacman-ai-framework-controlling-fusion-systems-safely-makes-key-decisions-milliseconds

[2] Magome, M., & Gumede, M. (2026, 4 Septhemba). Civil rights groups urge a halt to South Africa data centers boom amid water and power fears. Associated Press.
https://apnews.com/article/south-africa-data-centers-human-rights-590b64141c2262bd9a1aacb6d313a343

[3] South African Human Rights Commission. (2026). Call for public submissions on data centres and human rights in South Africa.
https://sahrc.org.za/index.php/sahrc-media/news-2/item/4479-media-advisory-south-african-human-rights-commission-calls-for-public-submissions-on-data-centres-and-human-rights-in-south-africa

[4] Open Secrets. (2026, 25 Agasti). Submission to the South African Human Rights Commission: Data Centres and Human Rights in South Africa.
https://www.opensecrets.org.za/https-www-opensecrets-org-za-wp-content-uploads-2026-08-2026-08-20-pub-foxglove-sahrc-data-centre-submission-v265-pdf-2/

[5] Media Leadership Think Tank, Journalism Relay Project & International Fund for Public Interest Media. (2026). The Protocol Gap: South Africa — How South African News Publishers Are Responding to AI Crawlers.
https://ifpim.org/who/publications-resources

[6] Davis, R. (2026, 1 Septhemba). “Extraction without compensation” — the AI dilemma facing SA’s digital media. Daily Maverick.
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-09-01-extraction-without-compensation-the-ai-dilemma-facing-sas-digital-media/