Responsible use of AI starts with the user
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of our daily lives and the workplace. People use AI to find information, write texts and generate images. Software developers increasingly rely on AI to develop software, write code, test software and work out technical solutions. AI offers tremendous opportunities to work more efficiently and creatively, but it also raises important questions:
- What information can you safely share with AI?
- What happens to the data you enter?
- How can organisations use AI responsibly?
Public debate often focuses on the technology itself. This project starts from a different premise: responsible AI-use does not begin with the technology, but with the user. Technology alone cannot make AI trustworthy. Trustworthy AI requires users who understand the choices they make when using it.
Why this project?
AI-literacy is increasingly recognised internationally as an essential competence for citizens and professionals. Both the OECD and the European AI Act emphasise that users need sufficient knowledge, skills and attitudes to use AI critically and responsibly. Yet we still know relatively little about how people actually interact with AI in practice. Do they understand what happens to the information they enter? Do they recognise the risks associated with privacy, data sharing, copyright, information security and shadow AI? And do they translate that understanding into their behaviour?
This project aims to bridge that gap by focusing on users' AI awareness. Its central research question is: How can users' AI awareness be understood, measured and strengthened to support responsible AI use among citizens and software developers?
AI awareness goes beyond knowledge alone. Someone may know that AI systems store data or use it to train models, yet still share sensitive personal data, business information or source code. Responsible AI use therefore requires not only knowledge, but also awareness that translates into informed decisions.
Two target groups, one challenge
The project focuses on two complementary target groups:
Citizens
More and more citizens are using AI in their daily lives. In doing so, they often unknowingly share personal data or other sensitive information. We investigate how citizens interact with AI and how their AI awareness can be strengthened to help them make better-informed decisions.
Software developers
Software developers are among the most frequent professional users of AI. They use AI throughout the software development process, but may also unknowingly share confidential source code, business information or internal documents. At the same time, many organisations still lack clear guidelines for responsible AI use. Moreover, there is currently no systematic overview of AI use and AI awareness within the Flemish software sector. This project will be the first to systematically map these developments.
What are we doing?
The project combines practice-oriented research with a design-based development approach. We are developing the following step by step:
- A validated measurement tool to assess AI awareness and responsible AI use;
- The annual AI Developer Barometer Flanders;
- An adaptive learning platform to help citizens and software developers make informed decisions;
- Practical recommendations for citizens, organisations and software developers.
The learning platform is being developed based on scientific insights and will be tested iteratively with both target groups. Feedback from these pilot studies will be used to further refine both the platform and the measurement tool.
Collaboration with industry and practice
The project is being developed in close collaboration with companies and organisations.An advisory board comprising representatives from industry and practice supports the research and provides feedback on the development of the learning platform, the research instruments and the results. Statik, North Star AGI and the Flemish AI Academy have already committed to participating as advisers.
In addition, we actively monitor developments in AI and systems innovation within VLAIO and the Flemish Council of University Colleges. Together with external partners, we also explore opportunities for follow-up research and further knowledge transfer and valorisation.