The state of artificial intelligence research in South Africa

This article presents the results of a scientometric investigation of the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in South Africa over the period 2013–2022. Such investigations inform policy and research management development and assist researchers to identify topics for investigation, collaborating organisations, etc. The Liu et al. methodology (Scientometrics 2021;126:3153–3192) was used for the identification of AI documents. The approach is appropriate for a growing discipline with constantly expanding terminology. The activity index was estimated to reveal the contribution of South African researchers in the field of AI, taking into account the country’s scientific size and the world’s involvement in the field. Finally, a content analysis of the titles of South African publications was employed to reveal the domains of emphasis and weakness within South African research in the field.