Make AI understandable and useful
Explain its possibilities, limitations and conditions for relevant use.
Cyber & AI Citizen Lab Charleroi
Citizen cybersecurity, responsible artificial intelligence and local digital infrastructure serving citizens, associations, startups and SMEs.
A citizen space making cybersecurity and artificial intelligence more accessible, safer and more useful to citizens, associations, startups and SMEs.
01
Why this lab?
Artificial intelligence is becoming an everyday tool, but adoption without a method can lead to data leaks, excessive dependence on external platforms, decision errors, exposure of sensitive information and non-compliant uses. IBCSC wants to help local actors understand, test and adopt these technologies progressively, securely and responsibly.
- Select appropriate tools
- Protect data and prevent leakage
- Integrate GDPR requirements
- Assess the actual value of a use case
- Recognise deepfakes, scams and automated phishing
02
Our objective
Secure everyday uses
Provide citizens and organisations with practical protection methods.
Support projects
Help startups and SMEs identify and frame realistic use cases.
Promote controlled choices
Present open, local and privacy-respecting solutions.
Create a local space
Develop supervised technical experimentation in Charleroi.
03
Who it is for
Citizens
Understand AI, recognise deepfakes and scams, protect data and use tools cautiously.
Associations / non-profits
Automate with care, produce documents, protect member data and integrate GDPR.
Startups
Identify cases, prototype, compare cloud and local AI, and secure architecture and data.
SMEs / independent professionals
Improve processes, prevent shadow IT, train teams and limit cyber and legal risks.
Schools / young people
Build critical thinking and address deepfakes, cyberbullying and responsible use.
04
Areas of activity
Six areas structure the project. Activities are adapted to the audience, available resources and the framework agreed with partners.
Artificial intelligence awareness
Generative AI, prompts, hallucinations, personal data, deepfakes, disinformation and account security.
AI adoption for startups and SMEs
Use-case discovery, workflow automation, internal assistants, RAG, document chatbots, support and compliance.
Local and sovereign infrastructure
Exploring open-source models, private inference, secure storage and lightweight infrastructure for workshops and prototypes.
Cybersecurity applied to AI
Access control, logs, backups, threat modelling, prompt injection, data leakage, API security and AI-enhanced phishing.
Support for associations and public actors
Knowledge management, translation, drafting, administration and communication through privacy by design.
Workshops, clinics and demonstrations
Small groups, citizen sessions, cyber and AI clinics and educational tool demonstrations.
05
Seeking a space for the Cyber & AI Citizen Lab
To develop the project, IBCSC is seeking a small associative or partner space in Charleroi or the surrounding area for workshops, clinics and supervised technical demonstrations.
- Small office or room of 15 to 30 m²
- Stable Internet connection, ideally fibre
- Power suited to lightweight infrastructure
- Appropriate ventilation
- Capacity for a few participants
- Secure environment
- Occasional or regular access
The planned infrastructure is lightweight and intended for training, demonstrations, prototyping and support. It is not intended to be a commercial data centre.
Propose a space
Minimum technical requirements
Space15–30 m²
InternetStable connection, ideally fibre
PowerSuitable for lightweight infrastructure
SecurityControlled access
UseTraining, demonstrations, prototyping
AudienceCitizens, non-profits, startups, SMEs
06
Partnerships sought
IBCSC wants to build the project with local and regional partners, pooling skills, venues, equipment and experience to create a practical and sustainable initiative.
- 01City of Charleroi and municipalities
- 02Public digital spaces and associations
- 03Digital Wallonia and Charleroi Entreprendre
- 04Coworkings and incubators
- 05Schools and universities
- 06Associations, startups and SMEs
- 07Independent experts and IT companies
- 08Telecom operators
- 09European actors
07
Organise a workshop
Workshop examples
- 01Understanding artificial intelligence without jargon
- 02Using AI tools without exposing data
- 03Phishing, deepfakes and AI-automated scams
- 04Building a document assistant for a non-profit
- 05Automating administrative work with care
- 06Securing accounts and access in a small organisation
- 07Local and open-source AI: benefits and limits
- 08GDPR and AI: first steps for small organisations
- 09Cybersecurity basics for startups
- 10Building an AI prototype without compromising data
08
Limits and principles
The Cyber & AI Citizen Lab follows strict principles: legality, data protection, transparency, proportionality, security, independence, no intrusion, GDPR compliance and rejection of abusive AI uses.
- No offensive use
- No excessive collection
- No illegitimate surveillance
- No promise of results
- No replacement of competent authorities
- No commercial operation of critical infrastructure under a non-profit label
Build useful and responsible local capacity
Would you like to offer a space, fibre connectivity, equipment, expertise, a partnership or a workshop? IBCSC reviews proposals according to their usefulness, framework and available resources.
Contact IBCSC