We put responsible and sustainable AI research and innovation at the core of our activities.

FARI is an initiative that aims to develop, study and foster the adoption and governance of AI, Data and Robotics technologies in a trustable, transparent, open, inclusive, ethical and responsible way. Inspired by humanistic and European values, FARI aims at helping to leverage AI-related technologies for societal benefits, such as strengthening and preserving Fundamental Human Rights and achieving United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Illustration
Illustration

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.

Illustration

2020

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

Illustration

March 2021

FARI was officially launched during the Belgian AI Week.

Illustration

January 2022

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

Illustration

July 2022

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

Illustration

We are committed to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and the OECD’s call for new growth narrative. 

Our Mission

Illustration

Our mission is to 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. We bring together world-leading and future researchers to the service of the city through projects that in turn could lead to major scientific advances, especially in the field of AI (Explainable and Trustworthy), Data (Open) and Robotics (human-centric).

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.

Illustration

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.

learn more

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: 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

learn more

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.

conduct standard

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. 

Become a FARI insider.
Subscribe for the latest news, events, and calls on AI for the common good.

Illustration