The FARI Brussels Conference returns on 18 and 19 November in Brussels, find out more.

An Initiative of

Supported by

We put the Common Good at the heart of AI, data, and robotics research

Our vision is to strengthen Fundamental Human Rights and safeguard Sustainability. We help citizens, politicians, companies as well as not-for-profit organizations to address local, every day or long-term challenges in the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium and Europe.
Remote studying under control of beloved grandma
Remote studying under control of beloved grandma

AI for the Common Good

Our Story

March 2018

A visit of Belgium’s royal family and former VUB rector, Caroline Pauwels to MILA institute in Canada inspired the birth of FARI.

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2020

Initiated as a collaboration between VUB and ULB, FARI aims to bring academic research to a broader society.

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March 2021

FARI was officially launched during the Belgian AI Week.

European AI Week

January 2022

FARI officially launched AI for the Common Good projects under NexGenerationEU programme.

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July 2022

First FARI Brussels Conference was held with over 300 participants and speakers across disciplines from around the world.

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Our mission is to study, develop, and foster the adoption and governance of AI, Data and Robotics technologies in an inclusive, ethical and sustainable way. 

Our Mission

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We bring together world-leading researchers and experts in the field of AI (Explainable and Trustworthy), Data (Open) and Robotics (human-centric) to meet challenges at local level.

We involve ethical and civic steering committees onboard to actively participate, guarantee the applicability, acceptability and relevance of our projects. The initiative is driven by AI and Data ethics. For every potential project, we ensure to be aligned with the legal requirements of, for instance fairness, transparency and accountability, while respecting academic freedom and integrating ethical and societal concerns. We ensure that all FARI projects consider the EU’s seven key requirements for responsible AI, both in the context of research and in the context of use. All FARI’s projects will respect the ground rules of the responsible research and innovation.

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FARI AI for the Common Good Institute 

Manisfesto Code of Conduct

Manifesto

Read the manifesto developed, reviewed, and approved by the research leads of the 10 AI, data, and robotics groups in VUB and ULB who also make up the founding members of FARI. Currently, the FARI Scientific Board is led by Ann Nowé from the VUB side and Hugue Bersini from the ULB side.

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Manifesto

The aim of the research institute is to enable, promote and perform excellent cross-disciplinary research on Artificial Intelligence in Brussels, inspired by the humanistic values of freedom, equality and solidarity that lay at the foundations of both the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), internationally acclaimed and with a local impact. 

Core research groups and representatives

Brubotics (VUB): Prof. Bram Vanderborght and Prof. Dirk Lefeber 

SaaS (ULB): Prof. Emanuel Garone 

ETRO (VUB): Prof. Adrian Munteanu, prof. Bart Jansen, and prof. Jef Vandemeulebroucke 

IRIDIA (ULB):  Prof. Hugues Bersini, Marco Dorigo, Mauro Biratarri, and Thomas Stuetzle 

LSTS RESEARCH GROUP (VUB): Prof. Mireille Hildebrandt  

Machine Learning Group (ULB): Prof. Tom Lenaerts and Prof. Gianluca Bontempi 

PERELMAN CENTRE (ULB): Prof. Gregory Lewkowicz and Prof. Benoît Frydman  

SMIT (VUB): Prof. Pieter Ballon and Prof. An Jacobs  

Solvay Business School (ULB): Prof. Nicolas Van Zeebroek 

AI-lab (VUB): Prof. Ann Nowé, Prof. Geraint Wiggins, Prof. Bernard Manderick, and Prof. Bart de Boer

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Code of conduct

This Code of Conduct establishes guidelines for constructive and positive working relationships. The Institute values integrity, diversity, respect, freedom of inquiry and expression, trust, honesty, and fairness and strives to integrate these values into its research, education, and business practices.

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FARI’s Code of Conduct promotes a standard of behavior that supports and enables FARI’s commitment to be a safe, inclusive, equitable, trustworthy, and respectful community to create an optimal research climate by those acting on behalf of FARI including employees, students, postdoctoral scholars, consultants, contractors, and volunteers. 

Keep up with our latest news, events, and calls on AI fo the common good.

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