FARI - AI for the Common Good Institute

Join the Conversation on Sustainable AI! 🌱 Are you a professional, researcher, or citizen concerned about the ecological impact of #GenerativeAI? Learn more at our learning community meet up on Tuesday, December 10. The event will take place at FARI from 9:30 - 13:00 and includes a networking lunch. Hosted by the Knowledge Centre Data & Society and SustAIn.brussels, this event is led by experts Alexandra Ch. Papageorgiou, Rob Heyman and Erik Mannens, Prof. PhD. MEng. MSc. who will discuss GenAI in regard to ecological sustainability. You can expect: ✨ Expert Insights on the ecological challenges of GenAI and practical solutions 🤝 Peer Discussions 🔗 Networking Opportunities We are looking forward to hearing your thoughts and perspectives. By having conversations like these with a various members of the community, we can create an open dialogue on ecological responsibility in AI. See you there! 👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/ggYUR672 Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Université libre de Bruxelles - VUB TechTransfer - ULB Research & Innovation - IDLab (UGent - UAntwerpen - imec) - Centre for IT & IP Law (CiTiP) @KU Leuven - imec-SMIT, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

🌍✨ A huge THANK YOU to Convention Bureau Brussels, visitbrussels, and STIB-MIVB for their support in making the #FARI2024 Conference a success! We are proud to have partnered with organizations that share our commitment to sustainability. We want to recognize their generosity for providing STIB/MIVB tickets to all participants and speakers of the conference, which encouraged greener mobility and the use of eco-friendly transportation to and from our event. 🚇🚌 Together, we’re building a smarter, more sustainable future for Brussels and beyond. 🌱

Policymakers and AI researchers: we would like to extend an invitation for lunch to discuss the European Union’s establishment of AI regulatory sandboxes under the recently adopted AI Act. 💫 This event, hosted by FARI - AI for the Common Good Institute in collaboration with the Research Group on Law, Science, Technology & Society (LSTS), will officially launch Nathan Genicot’s report “From Blueprint to Reality: Implementing AI Regulatory Sandboxes under the AI Act.” We will discuss: - The legal framework for AI regulatory sandboxes under the AI Act - Existing sandbox initiatives across Europe - Recommendations for developing an AI regulatory sandbox in Belgium The session will open with a networking lunch, followed by a presentation of the report and a panel discussion featuring expert speakers who will share their insights and experiences. If you’d like to engage with AI policymakers in the field of AI regulation or learn about the practical implementation of AI regulatory sandboxes, this event is perfect for you. If you’re interested in joining, we welcome you to register here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/eUsYW7_9 🗓 Date: Tuesday, December 17 ⏰ Time: 12:00 – 14:00 📍 Location: FARI Auditorium, Cantersteen 16, 1000 Brussels Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Université libre de Bruxelles - VUB TechTransfer - Carl-Maria MÖRCH - Hans De Canck - ULB Research & Innovation

🌟 Welcome to the Team, Lore Stanson! 🌟 We would like to introduce our new AI Academy Program Lead at FARI! With a Master’s in Educational Sciences from VUB and experience as a project and program manager at FTI and Festival Leuven, Lore has a proven track record of fostering collaboration across communities to explore how technology can shape a better future. Her passion and expertise will assist our mission to put the common good at the heart of AI, data, and robotics research. In Lore’s words: “Excited to step into my role as Program Lead for the AI Academy. My mission? Empowering people from diverse backgrounds to explore AI’s potential and giving them the tools to use it for the common good. I’ll facilitate tailored educational journeys and will be driving efforts toward a future where AI is accessible, ethical, and impactful. Let’s make it happen!” We’re thrilled to have Lore on board and can’t wait to see the impact she’ll make in her new role. Please join us in welcoming Lore to the FARI community! 🎉

At our recent FARI AI Happy Hour, Patrick A. Van der Spiegel, PhD candidate at FARI and Artificial Intelligence Lab Brussels, shared insights into AI-driven anomaly detection. He explored questions that touch on both technology and ethics: → How do we define "normal" behavior? → When does a deviation become significant? → How can AI help us identify these anomalies, and what happens when mistakes occur? Through practical examples, Patrick highlighted the challenges of detecting anomalies, such as working with imbalanced datasets and handling unpredictable patterns. He also addressed the risks of errors: → False positives: flagging normal events as anomalies. → False negatives: overlooking true anomalies. The discussion underscored the importance of human oversight and the need to weigh the consequences of these errors carefully, as they can have real-world impacts. A key takeaway was the reminder to move beyond the hype surrounding AI and focus on its context-driven applications and limitations. A big thank you to Patrick for leading this compelling session and to everyone who joined us for the discussion! The FARI AI Happy Hours will return in 2025, taking place every last Monday of the month. Don’t miss out on future announcements—register for our newsletter and stay informed: https://lnkd.in/dC-NMGfK Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Université libre de Bruxelles - Karen Boers - Laura Jousset - Sezen Avci - Lore Stanson - Gregory Lewkowicz - Tom Lenaerts

#FARI2024 | Highlights from FARI Brussels Conference – Day 2 🌟 Our FARI Partners Day was a dynamic and insightful journey under the theme, “AI, a Public Good?” held in BeCentral. 💡 The day was packed with workshops, roundtables, matchmaking events, and pitch sessions, bringing together experts to explore topics such as sandboxes, GovTech, digital twins, AI & democracy, and much more. Together with our partners—European Commission, CAIRNE, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, SustAIn.brussels, Make.org, GLUON BXL , VUB Business Development Academy, Big Data Test Infrastructure (BDTI), Open & Agile Smart Cities & Communities (OASC), ifok GmbH, SIPRI, Eurocities, hub.brussels, and The Data Tank—we drove impactful discussions and collaborations shaping the future of #AI for the common good. 📸 Check out some snapshots from the day and relive the moments of connection, learning, and innovation! © Thierry Geenen / FARI - AI for the Common Good Institute Brussels Let us know in the comments which session or topic inspired you most! 🚀 Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Université libre de Bruxelles - ULB Research & Innovation - VUB Research - VUB TechTransfer - Hans De Canck - Carl-Maria MÖRCH - Lea Rogliano - Martin Canter - Laura Jousset - Susheel Nath - Sezen Avci - Kenneth Hannaert - Ida Velthoven - Diana R. - Jules Palayer - Anna Colom, PhD - Kathlijn Fruithof - Ivy Yang, PhD - Hendrik Nahr - Aleksandra Zaniewska - Geoffrey Aerts

#FARI2024 | Highlights 📸 The FARI Brussels Conference 2024 took place already one week ago! We are thrilled to share that the photos from the FARI Brussels Conference 2024 are now available. Over 800 attendees joined us for two unforgettable days of insights, discussions, and innovation on the ethical and societal impacts of AI, data, and robotics. 🙌 A big thank you to our speakers, partners, and attendees for making this event a success with your expertise, engagement, and energy. 👉 Check out the photos from November 18 and relive the highlights: https://lnkd.in/enx7WqCS © Thierry Geenen / FARI - AI for the Common Good Institute Brussels #AI #Robotics #Brussels #Innovation #ThankYou - Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Université libre de Bruxelles - VUB Research - ULB Research & Innovation - Hans De Canck - Karen Boers - Carl-Maria MÖRCH - Laura Jousset - Sezen Avci - Kenneth Hannaert - hub.brussels - La France en Belgique - visitbrussels - Académie royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique - Nederlandse ambassade in België - RoboRana Group - Cronos Public Services NV - Cronos.AI | Enterprise AI - BeCentral - CAIRNE

We are thrilled to share that over 800 attendees joined us for the FARI Brussels Conference 2024 across two days! 🙌 A heartfelt thank you to all our speakers and partners for their invaluable contributions to making this event a success. Your insights, expertise, and collaboration were key to driving forward the discussions on the ethical and societal impacts of AI, data, and robotics. 🚀 We also want to extend special thanks to all our attendees. Your engagement, thoughtful questions, and eagerness to explore the future of AI made this event truly memorable. We are grateful for the collective energy you brought to the conference! Our panels featured 49% women, and we were thrilled to see this echoed in the audience, where 44% of attendees were women—a rare milestone for events in tech and research. 👩💻👩🔬 This aligns with clear evidence that gender diversity enhances the quality of science and research (see the study in comments: Gender diversity leads to better science). While achieving true gender representation remains a long journey, every step forward is significant. We remain steadfast in our commitment to fostering a more inclusive future, together. 💡 To everyone who contributed to making this possible—thank you! Let’s keep pushing boundaries and shaping a tech and research community that reflects the diversity of the world we live in 💪 Karen Boers Carl-Maria MÖRCH Hans De Canck Laurence Renault Laura Jousset Sezen Avci Vrije Universiteit Brussel Université libre de Bruxelles VUB Research ULB Research & Innovation

#FARI2024 | Step into the FARI Brussels Conference 2024! Missed the event? 🌟 Catch the highlights and experience the energy of November 18 with this short video. From inspiring panel discussions, keynotes to hands-on demos and art room, we explored how AI, data, and robotics can serve the public good. ⤵️

#FARI2024 | 🔍 Catch Up on Prof. Emerita Mireille Hildebrandt, FBA's Inspiring Keynote! At the FARI Brussels Conference 2024, Prof. Emerita Mireille Hildebrandt (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) shared critical insights on AI for the Public Good. She explored what problems #AI can truly solve, the challenges it can't, and the risks it may create. Highlighting the value of slow and thoughtful innovation, her talk urges us to focus on resilient, responsible AI that prioritizes long-term societal impact over rapid gains. Don't miss her presentation ⤵️