Londerzeel trains all employees in artificial intelligence: "AI is ubiquitous, including at the town hall"

The municipality of Londerzeel is proactively equipping all its staff with artificial intelligence knowledge, underscoring a commitment to integrating AI responsibly into public service. The core principle guiding this adoption is clear: "People decide, AI supports," stated IT councilor Bart Van Doren.

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But the common thread remains: people decide, AI supports.

This comprehensive training initiative anticipates new European regulations set to take effect in August, which will mandate transparency in AI usage and require sufficient AI literacy across all organizations. Londerzeel's approach ensures that from the general director to the groundskeeping staff, every employee will be AI-competent.

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From the general director to employees of the green service, therefore.

During the training sessions, employees learned where AI applications are most beneficial. A select group received advanced training through a "cyber lunch." The municipality has also published an AI statement on its website, detailing its policy across six pillars: privacy, transparency, correctness, professionalism, sustainability, and ethical use. "Citizens deserve to know what happens behind the scenes," Van Doren added.

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Citizens deserve to know what happens behind the scenes.

Londerzeel is already leveraging AI for various operational tasks, including refining the language used in its communications and generating summaries of meetings. However, critical processes like approving environmental permits or social benefits remain firmly in human hands. The municipality plans to conduct AI training sessions regularly to stay abreast of the rapidly evolving technology, recognizing its pervasive influence even in unexpected areas like facility management.

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If you know that some companies today are already using artificial intelligence to see which cleaning products need to be replenished, then you understand why.