NaDI doctoral students are launching “What If AI…,” a lecture series aimed at “demystifying artificial intelligence”

Artificial intelligence is now accessible to everyone. Yet, while many people use it every day, few truly understand how it works, its limitations, or the issues surrounding it. To address this need, the Namur Digital Institute (NaDI) is launching “What If AI…,” a series of lecture-workshops open to the general public, coordinated by doctoral students Elisa De Coster (PReCISE) and Aline Nardi (CRIDS). 

“The idea behind the project is to demystify artificial intelligence,” begins Elisa De Coster. “As researchers, we’re fortunate to be aware of the issues raised by AI. We wanted curious members of the public to have access to these keys to understanding as well.” 

“Before 2022 and the rise of ChatGPT, these tools were limited to a niche audience,” continues Aline Nardi. “Since then, the use of AI has become widespread at record speed, but reflection on the societal implications of these uses has not kept pace. This series of lectures is an invitation to take a step back and understand what’s happening behind the scenes.” 

Each session, lasting about two hours, will bring together the perspectives of several specialists. A doctoral student in computer science will explain the technical workings of AI, while his counterpart in law will address the legal, ethical, and societal implications.

Speakers from the professional world will share their real-world experience, and an interactive activity will allow the audience to put these concepts into practice. Interactivity, interdisciplinarity, and accessibility to the general public are the three pillars of the project.

Each event will address a different social issue: 

• October 1, 2026 – La Nef
  What if AI were your confidant?
  Can you confide in a chatbot? What are the risks? 
• October 22, 2026 – PA02
  What if AI were wrong?
  How can we recognize errors in artificial intelligence and maintain our critical thinking? 
• November 19, 2026 – Caméo
  What if AI were subjective? Is artificial intelligence
  truly neutral, or does it perpetuate certain biases? 
• February 25, 2027 – Quai 22
  What if AI stole your creations?
  What challenges does generative AI pose in terms of copyright and intellectual property? 
• March 18, 2027 – TRAKK
  What if AI knew you too well?
  What happens to our personal data, and to what extent can AI learn to know us? 

While Elisa De Coster and Aline Nardi coordinate the project, they emphasize that it is, above all, a collaborative effort. The lecture series is led by ten doctoral students from the PReCISE and CRIDS research centers: Elisa De Coster, Adélaïde Couplet, Jules Dejaeghere, Pierre Luycx, Pierre Poitier, Aline Nardi, Alix Gobert, Florian Jacques, Martin Rappe, Lionel Goffaux, and Olga Thiry. Together, they aim to help the general public better understand artificial intelligence, without demonizing it or presenting it as a miracle solution.