Café IAssos Transnational – A Solidarity-Based Artificial Intelligence: A Challenge for the Social Economy

Today, major technology players are largely shaping the artificial intelligence of tomorrow. But what if the social and solidarity economy put forward a different vision?

On Thursday, 3 September 2026, SAW-B, FARI – AI for the Common Good Institute and Social Good Accelerator invite social economy actors, associations, cooperatives, researchers, public institutions and policymakers to the closing event of Café IAssos in Brussels. During this transnational day, the insights from the Café IAssos sessions in Belgium and France will be brought together, discussed and translated into concrete recommendations for a more solidarity-based, democratic and responsible artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence is developing. But what do we do with it?

Artificial intelligence is increasingly finding its way into organisations and everyday work practices. It is used to write texts, generate images, write out conversations, prepare documents or support internal processes.

At the same time, this development raises important questions. What happens to the data of the target groups supported by social organisations? What is the ecological impact of these technologies? What vision of society do they support? And how can teams use artificial intelligence in an informed, critical and ethical way, question it, or consciously choose not to use it?

That is why this closing event matters. Artificial intelligence is not only a technical issue, but also a societal and political challenge. The social economy has an essential role to play in this debate, as it is rooted in values such as solidarity, democracy, inclusion and the common good.

From field experience to recommendations

Since the beginning of 2026, staff members, volunteers and organisations from the social economy have come together during the Café IAssos sessions in Belgium and France. These meetings created space to explore the impact of artificial intelligence, share experiences, express concerns and formulate collective questions.

The transnational closing event builds on this work. Its objective is to bring together the lessons learned from these sessions and turn them into concrete recommendations for policymakers, public institutions and other relevant stakeholders. In doing so, Café IAssos aims to contribute to an artificial intelligence that better reflects the realities, needs and values of the social and solidarity economy.

Programme

Morning | 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.

The day will begin with a conference on the challenges of a social and solidarity-based artificial intelligence.

This will be followed by testimonials and field experiences from the Café IAssos sessions. Participants will then take part in three thematic workshops on the concrete impact of artificial intelligence in different sectors:

1. Artificial intelligence serving the medico-social sector
2. Artificial intelligence in lifelong education: a lever for critical thinking?
3. Artificial intelligence and social action: an incompatibility?

The choice of workshop will be made during registration.

Afternoon | 1.30 p.m. to 3.00 p.m.

In the afternoon, open questions will be further explored with researchers, experts and actors from different fields. Participants will be able to take part in one of the following workshops:

1. Technology: How can artificial intelligence technologies contribute to the social objectives of the social economy?
2. Environment and climate: Is a sober artificial intelligence possible?
3. Politics: Are the concerns of the social economy shared by other sectors and by public authorities?

The choice of workshop will be made during registration.

End of the day | 3.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

The day will close with a World Café. During this participatory moment, participants will jointly develop recommendations for an artificial intelligence aligned with the values of the social and solidarity economy.

Which developments do we want to challenge? Which practices do we want to encourage? And which messages do we want to address to public institutions and policymakers?

The recommendations will be discussed, prioritised and then shared through different channels, including a wiki, webinars and future meetings within Café IAssos.

Practical information

What? Closing event of Café IAssos Transnational on artificial intelligence and the social economy
Who? SAW-B, FARI – AI for the Common Good Institute and Social Good Accelerator, together with social economy actors, associations, cooperatives, researchers, institutions and policymakers
When? Thursday, 3 September 2026, from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Welcome from 9.00 a.m.
Where? At FARI, Boardroom, Brussels
Why? To share the insights from the Café IAssos sessions in Belgium and France and jointly formulate recommendations for a more solidarity-based, democratic and responsible artificial intelligence

Lunch is included.
The venue is accessible to persons with disabilities.
The event will take place in French.
Participation is free, but registration is mandatory.

Who is behind the Café IAssos project?

Café IAssos is a European Erasmus+ project led by three partners: SAW-B in Belgium, FARI – AI for the Common Good Institute in Belgium and Social Good Accelerator at European level.

The project aims to support associations in France and Belgium so that they can play an active role in digital democracy in the age of artificial intelligence. Through participatory methods and lifelong education, Café IAssos offers staff members and volunteers from the non-profit sector a space to better understand the challenges related to artificial intelligence and data, discuss them critically and address them collectively.

In this way, the project contributes to a model that can be transferred to other contexts and strengthens organisations in their capacity to help shape digital transitions. In short, Café IAssos starts from the reality of social organisations and works towards artificial intelligence serving the common good.