Anné Verhoef
Anné Verhoef’s work sits at the intersection of philosophy, education and artificial intelligence, exploring how technology can be understood and used in ways that are responsible, meaningful and centred on human needs.
His Journey
Anné Verhoef’s academic journey has been shaped by a longstanding interest in the questions that sit at the heart of human life: how we understand ourselves, how we pursue happiness, how we act with integrity, and how new technologies reshape the way we live, learn and work.
His path began in philosophy, leading to two PhDs from the University of Stellenbosch and the Free University in Amsterdam, and to his current position as Professor of Philosophy at North-West University. Over time, his research expanded from the philosophy of happiness and human flourishing into questions of academic integrity, artificial intelligence ethics and the rapidly changing role of AI in higher education.
As these fields increasingly converged, Anné became deeply involved in helping universities respond to the opportunities and risks created by artificial intelligence. He has published widely on academic integrity and AI in higher education, co-founded the academic journal Transformation in Higher Education, where he also served as associate editor, and became an NRF-rated researcher. He also co-founded AICSA, the Artificial Intelligence Circle in South Africa for Higher Education, creating a platform for collaboration and shared learning across the sector.
His work increasingly moved from research and reflection into institutional leadership and practical implementation. In 2024, he received the NWU Silver Wings Award for his contribution to academic integrity, followed in 2025 by the NWU Teaching and Learning Leadership Award for his work on artificial intelligence in higher education. During this period, he played a leading role in shaping North-West University’s approach to AI, culminating in NWU becoming the first university in South Africa and Africa to formally approve an institutional AI policy.
Today, as Director of the North-West University Artificial Intelligence Hub, Anné works at the intersection of philosophy, education, leadership and emerging technology. Under his leadership, the NWU AI Hub was selected as a finalist in the Gartner 2025 Eye on Innovation Awards for Education across the APAC and EMEA regions.
Alongside his work in artificial intelligence, Anné has continued to pursue the philosophical questions that first shaped his academic career. His latest book, Happiness, Unhappiness and Chance, published by Bloomsbury at the end of 2025, reflects this enduring concern with the complexity of human flourishing.
Across these different stages of his career, a consistent thread remains: an interest in how ideas can move beyond theory to help people and institutions navigate change thoughtfully, responsibly and with humanity at the centre.
Approach to AI
Anné approaches artificial intelligence with a practical, critical and human-centred perspective. He sees AI not as a replacement for human judgement, creativity and responsibility, but as a powerful tool that can extend human capability when used thoughtfully.
His background in philosophy brings a broader perspective to the questions AI raises about ethics, education, work, leadership and decision-making. Rather than focusing only on what technology can do, he is equally interested in what it should do, how it should be governed, and how it can serve people and institutions well.
Through training, policy development, research integrity, governance and institutional implementation, his work helps organisations move from AI enthusiasm or uncertainty toward responsible and effective use. The goal is simple: to make AI useful, trustworthy and firmly grounded in human needs and values.