AI Ethics

Spend time in the company of other writers putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard. Work on your current project or start something new. If you are fresh out of inspiration a member of the Wordcraft Collective will be ready with a prompt to get you going. You can use that to unlock your creative brain before moving back to your own project or run with it. Who knows where the story will take you? Arrive when you like, leave when you like, or join us for a drink in the bar downstairs afterwards. Location: Pianofabriek, Rue du Fort 35, 1060 Saint-Gilles.

Join us for a festive evening to celebrate **Chinese New Year** with great food, warm company, and a lively atmosphere! Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is the most important holiday in Chinese culture — a time for gathering, sharing meals, and welcoming a new cycle of luck, prosperity, and happiness ✨ Let’s experience this tradition together over an authentic Chinese dinner in Brussels 🇨🇳🍜 ### 📍 Event Details **Location:** Tian Yuan House **Meeting Point:** Inside the restaurant ### 💡 Important • Please arrive on time so we can be seated together • Everyone orders and pays for their own food and drinks • Limited spots - RSVP only if you are sure you can attend ### 🧧 About Chinese New Year Each year in the lunar calendar is associated with a zodiac animal 🐎and symbolizes renewal, family, prosperity, and new beginnings 🌙 --- Come share good food, good conversations, and festive vibes — the best way to welcome the New Year together 🥂 ✨ See you there! ✨

General theme: Narrative Knowledge What are the consequences of our relying on narratives as a means to knowing, understanding and relating to the world? What are the advantages and disadvantages of our using narratives as a fundamental way to communicate with one another? Have our interactions and interrelationships in general become captivated (literally) by an excessive dominance of narratives? Just as walking upright has enhanced our ability to navigate our physical world, so has communicating via language enhanced our ability to navigate our social as well as introspective worlds. Dirt paths and asphalt roads we have created during our long process of walking upright have at the same time ultimately determined how we now currently interact with our physical landscapes - closed loops, literally and figuratively. Have all our inherited created narratives also closed-looped our minds, rigidly structuring how we relate to our own selves and to others? Is a key to cultural progress and evolution simply to add many new narratives, all expressing divergent perspectives? Or would de-narrating both our inner and outer worlds be an equally - possibly even more - valuable strategy? With what could we replace narratives if we still wanted/needed to connect and interact with ourselves, with others and with the world? Special theme: The Paradox of Philosophy Are there better ways to arrive at insight, understanding and meaning than by thinking philosophically? What we might call a "philosopher's paradox": 1.Philosophizing essentially demands optimizing our thinking (reasoning, conceptualizing, imagining...) as well as our overall awareness (of here, of now, of others, of self...). 2.Thinking typically diminishes awareness, and vice-versa. 3a. Western philosophy tends to prioritize thinking (abstract) over awareness (concrete). 3b. Much of western philosophy (even Phenomenology!) is consequently narrative in form. Conclusion: Optimizing our thinking necessitates ridding of (or at least suspending) our awareness. Nevertheless, awareness remains a valuable vehicle for attaining knowledge and insight. Is this "philosopher's paradox" simply an intellectual bug? Or is it a fundamental - arguably problematic - feature of our thinking that impedes us from knowing and experiencing anything most directly and fully? What better ways are there in any case to understand the nature of ourselves, our world and our existence than through thinking and philosophy?? Is a dog or rabbit more in touch with being and reality than a human? "Between your thoughts, it's the space that listens." Elias Amidon, from "Medicine Beauty" Illustration: "Socrates, Plato, Aristotle & the Buddhist monks" (concept by Alan Woo, executed by ChatGPT)

📚 Book Club Invitation: The Ape That Understood the Universe by Steve Stewart-Williams Hello curious minds and lovers of big questions, For our February meeting, we turn to The Ape That Understood the Universe, a fascinating and accessible exploration of how the human mind evolved to make sense of reality, from everyday beliefs to science, religion, and culture. Steve Stewart-Williams takes us on a journey through evolutionary psychology, showing how the same mental tools that helped our ancestors survive also shape our deepest intuitions, sometimes helping us understand the world, sometimes leading us astray. If you’ve ever wondered: * Why humans are so good at storytelling * How evolution shaped our beliefs about meaning, morality, and truth * Whether science is just another cultural product… or something more …this book offers plenty of fuel for reflection and debate. 📅 Date: Friday, 21 February ⏰ Time: 11:30 📍 Venue: Carpe Diem, Avenue de Tervuren 13, 1040 Brussels Expect an engaging and open discussion about human nature, evolution, culture, and how an evolved ‘ape’ ended up trying to understand the universe, all in a relaxed setting with good coffee and good company. As always, you’re welcome whether you read every chapter or just grasped the main ideas. Those who wish can stay for lunch afterward and continue the conversation informally. 📞 Questions: 0474.60.83.70 🏡 Book Club Home Rules 1️⃣ You’re welcome even if you didn’t finish the book. 2️⃣ We listen to understand, not to win. 3️⃣ Curiosity, respect, and openness come first — especially when ideas challenge us. Looking forward to another lively exchange of ideas 🧠

Hi everyone, This coffee morning event is @MIR Concept Coffee Store! Saturday, 21 February 2026, from 10:00 - 13:00. MIR opened its doors about 3 years ago, right off Place Jourdan. Doriana, the owner, is a super nice host, and is excited to have our group as her café. The café is very beautiful and has great coffee, andmany yummy food options. Their Instagram channel: https://www.instagram.com/mirconceptstore/ **The address is:** MIR Concept Coffee Store Rue Gray 4A 1040 Etterbeek *** 1. The **prime time** of the event is **10:30 - 12:30**. That's when most people will be there. 2. When you enter the gallery, it's either on the right-hand side or left-hand side of its hallway, depending which entrance you take. 3. If you intend **to join past 12:00** (high noon), then there is no need to register. Just come and join! 4. **DON'T forget to cancel** if you can't join! 5. **Please, be respectful towards each other during the event. (And after ;))** **As always, feel free to follow us on INSTAGRAM!** [https://instagram.com/weekendmorningcoffee?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==](https://instagram.com/weekendmorningcoffee?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==) **THE STRUCTURE of THE EVENT:** * I will post the event on Saturday/Sunday evening for the following Saturday. * I send out a reminder to everyone on Friday. * There is sometimes a waiting list. * In case RSVP is closed (once there are 10-15 people on the waiting list), I might reopen it on Friday, depending on the number of cancellations in the meantime. * **For everyone on the waiting,** please check your status and messages on Friday evening the latest. I message everyone on the waiting list on Friday. * **Please, move to "not going" AS SOON AS you know that you can't come anymore, that includes everyone who is on the waiting list.** **IMPORTANT:** * **Please, be respectful towards each other during the event. (And after ;))** * When you register yourself, be careful not to register accidentally a +1 guest (unless you bring a guest). It happens very often. * If you have any questions then, message me. *** **A MESSAGE FOR NEWCOMERS:** *In the three years of hosting this coffee group, I have met many people who struggle with anxieties when coming to an event for the first time. Sometimes, it took them more than one attempt before being able to join.* *Occasionally, people reach out to me before the event, and I have always been grateful for that as it offers the opportunity to communicate with each other and to find the best and most gentle way for that person to join the group.* *I would like to encourage everyone who struggles with this to contact me before. It would really be too bad if you can't join us, as it mostly gets better the second or third time you come.* *In addition to that, if you arrive and notice any signs of nervousness or fear, you can always let me know right then.* **THANK YOU AND SEE YOU ALL ON Saturday!**

We'll be discussing the book “My Cousin Rachel” by Daphne Du Maurier and choosing the next book.

Voici un espace simple et régulier pour celles et ceux qui souhaitent découvrir ou approfondir la pratique. La pleine conscience aide à mieux gérer le stress, traverser les émotions difficiles sans se sentir dépassé et à se centrer dans un monde qui devient de plus en plus turbulent. Je propose un petit temps de méditation guidée, suivi d’un échange, en ligne, tous les samedis matins. C’est ouvert à toutes et tous, aucune expérience n’est nécessaire. 🗓 Tous les samedis ⏰ 10h15 (50 min) 💻 En visio 💚 Première séance offerte 👉 **Participation consciente :** • Tarif recommandé : **10 €** • Tarif solidaire : **5 €** (pour les périodes financièrement délicates : études, chômage, transition, difficultés…) • Tarif soutien : **13 €** (pour contribuer au développement et à la pérennité de cet espace) Si ça te parle, tu es le·la bienvenu·e 🌿

Welcome to our weekly event in the upstairs room of The Sister Café, rue Chair et Pain 3, one block from the Grand Place. Please get there early enough to order your drink at the bar first. Thank you! After introductions we will collect questions from the group participants, choose one by voting then discuss it for an hour. Then most of us stay for drinks and bizarre conversations. Past questions have been wide and not confined to academic philosophy: What is a genuine friend? Is social media turning us into emotional zombies? Do we lose some of the experience of things by defining them? Are we driven by sex? Is loneliness a personal failure? Is morality relative? **Crucially, be kind and respectful and generous** in your disagreements; remember how much you personally enjoy someone else proving you wrong before celebrating your cutting counterexamples.

This Weekend Morning Coffee Meeting - Sunday Edition - will take place at Addies Stories, an Ethiopian Café with traditional Ethiopian coffee. 🗓 **Sunday, 22 February** ⏰ **from 10:30** 👥 **limited to 22 people - registration is obligatory** **This is an extract from the BUZZ from January 2026:** "Ethiopia is the country most often associated with coffee. Arabica grows in the wild, coffee is roasted at home and the coffee ceremony determines the rhythm of social life. The fact that coffee is so deeply anchored gives an extra dimension to the opening of Addis Stories, a place where it is more about real coffee than about fashion trends and trendy specialties." **https://www.bruzz.be/select/resto-bar/bij-addis-stories-draait-alles-om-pure-ethiopische-koffie-en-traditie-2026-01-24** **https://www.addisstories.com/** **Address:** **Addis Stories** **Rue du Vieux Marché 48** **1000 Brussels** This is one of our Sunday editions, which are usually meant to test new places outside our usual coffee locations. These editions are smaller and more experimental, and focus as much on the place and the neighbourhood as on the group itself. ### ### IMPORTANT Please **do not register if you are unsure you can come**. If you register and later realise you can’t make it, **cancel as soon as possible, latest on Saturday afternoon.** There is often a **waiting list**, and it’s only fair to give people on it a real chance to join. Thank you for being fair and respectful. If you’re **on the waiting list**, please **check your status on Saturday evening at the latest**. See you on Sunday ☕

Let’s have our next meetup this coming Sunday at MIR Concept. This meeting is meant to be relaxed, human, and focused on real conversations ,no pressure, no expectations, just people meeting people. I created MIR as a space for genuine human connection, with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. It’s a cozy and inspiring place designed for conversation, creativity, and positive impact. I warmly invite you to join us and enjoy a great cup of coffee, tea, or matcha, along with delicious pastries. We’ll chat, laugh, share opinions, and see how different languages and cultures connect us. I’m really looking forward to continuing this journey with you and meeting both familiar and new faces.

Common Ground Book Club
An in-person reading group exploring critical theory, from the Frankfurt School to contemporary thinkers. We’ll read books and essays, and our discussions will focus on society, power, and modern phenomena: from politics to media and social trends. 
Fourth Meeting
We will discuss the second and third parts of Marcuse’s “One-Dimensional Man”, Parts II and III (p. 127-261): https://files.libcom.org/files/Marcuse,%20H%20-%20One-Dimensional%20Man,%202nd%20edn.%20(Routledge,%202002).pdf 
Who is it for?
No prior philosophy or theory background is required, just curiosity and a willingness to engage. I (the organiser) am not an expert; I just seek other kind souls who want to exchange thoughts ✨ 
Format
• Readings may be short essays, selected chapters, or full books.
• Each meeting begins with a short recap/introduction of the text.
• Open, informal discussion.
• Everyone is encouraged to bring a passage or question they found interesting, confusing, or provocative.
• Language of discussion: English.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out on Meet-up or Instagram: @commongroundbe

Let's meet to write ! Schedule : 11:00 - 11:30 am : Presentation tour. Share briefly with the group about your project and your "goal of the day". 11:30 - 13:30 : Let's write ! 13:30 : Conclusion tour. Did you achieve your goal of the day ? See you soon !

Under the careful guidance of Marga, we will walk through the forest to the nature zone, cross the old race track to the lakes at Groendaal. We will return to our welcome starting point where our table awaits in this very friendly bar, for lunch. https://mapy.com/s/cekucahaba is our route, please confirm lunch, as we can book the right number of places

This workshop series is a **follow-up to the ESP32 Robotics workshop**, but with a different concept. Here, there will be no subject set in advance, instead **all participants are welcome to join at any point and at any level, from beginner to expert**. Beginners will be guided though the basics (C programming, how to use measurement tools, soldering, PCB design, etc…) and can get advice on what tools and kits to start with, others can come with their own projects to get help or share some knowledge. ## Requirements * Bring your own laptop (Windows, Linux or Mac) * Any microcontroller/dev kit to develop your project(s). If you are a beginner and don’t know what to buy, come and we’ll find the best starter kit for you ! * A strong desire to learn stuff, good mood and some patience !

**\*\*\*\* More details and sign up at: https://aifalliance.org/summit-2026/ \*\*\*\*** **What is AI Freedom Alliance?** AI Freedom Alliance promotes the responsible growth of AI guided by practical, commonsense ethics. Our nonprofit is built by professionals from a wide range of industries and is made up entirely of small- and mediumbusiness representatives—never large tech companies. We provide a counterbalance to big corporate influence, focusing instead on how AI can benefit businesses and the world at large. **What’s Happening?** ***The inaugural AI Freedom Alliance Summit.*** This full-day event will explore how we can ensure AI is adopted responsibly through shared ethical standards that empower humanity. The summit will feature interactive and educational sessions led by thought leaders, technologists, policymakers, and advocates who are passionate about making AI fair, transparent, and beneficial for everyone. **Why Attend?** Learn about the legal and technical challenges with implementing AI solutions within your organization. Build better solutions while protecting your organization from legal and compliance risks. And learn how to think strategically about AI as a differentiation tool for your business. This summit is highly recommended for C-Suite leaders to learn as well as interact with each other and our sponsors.

As you may or may not know--I didn't until late last year--Aristotle wrote extensively on "friendship" in the Nicomachean Ethics. After 69 years the concept of friendship still creates questions and uncertainty. I had close friends in high school and for a few years after high school but our interests diverged and people moved all over the country so it was hard to maintain connections. * So if I/you haven't talked with a friend for several years, are you still friends? Are we friends who meet at Drunken Philosophy or Omnipresent Atheists? * Can you be friends with someone with whom you have virulently divergent political views? Sartre and Camus could not. * Aristotle regarded friendship as essential to a good life, not merely an added "bonus." Do you agree? * In the Nicomachean Ethics (Books VIII and IX), he claims that wealth and power are meaningless without friends. Trump has wealth and power but seems to have no real friends, but wealth and power seem meaningful to him in perverted ways. Can you have meaning in your life without friends? * Do men and women view and maintain friendships in different ways? * Aristotle categorizes friendship into three types, based on what forms the bond: * **Utility**: Based on mutual benefit, but this type is fragile and ends when the usefulness ceases. * **Pleasure**: Based on shared enjoyment (e.g., humor, hobbies). Common among youth but fades as interests change. * **Virtue (The "Complete" Friendship)**: Based on mutual respect for each other's character and goodness. You wish good for the other for their sake, not yours. * **Key Principles of "True" (Virtuous) Friendship:** * **Permanence**: Virtuous friendships last a lifetime whereas those based on utility and pleasure are fleeting. * **Reciprocity**: Requires mutual goodwill; secret or unreciprocated affection does not qualify. * **The "Second Self"**: A true friend is "another self"—their virtue helps you understand and improve yourself. * **Time and Intimacy**: Deep ("complete") friendships are few, built on time and shared experiences. * **Self-Love and Friendship:** * Good friendship starts with being a friend to yourself. * They distinguish shallow egoism (chasing honors) from real self-love (pursuing virtue). * A virtuous person’s pleasant self-company allows them to be a stable, good friend to others. * Aristotle argues that one's social circle ultimately reflects one's character—a view with striking relevance today. Well--the Drunken Philosophy social circle certainly reflects good character!

Join the Columbus AI community for our quarterly gathering — a casual, community-focused evening where everyone has a chance to share, learn, and connect. These open mic–style events give anyone in the community up to **5 minutes** to present a project, share a tool, pose a question, or offer a perspective on the evolving AI space. No slides required — just a welcoming space to exchange ideas and keep the local AI conversation moving. If you’d like to take the stage, message **Chris (the organizer)** with a **title and short description** of what you’d like to share. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services)

**When:** Saturday\, February 21 \| 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM **Where:** [1124 Parsons Ave, Columbus, OH 43206](https://twodollarradiohq.com/about-us) Looking for a night of meaningful connection and great vegan food? Join us at [Two Dollar Radio Headquarters](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=/g/11fkn49_yq&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj14_nkjsWSAxVt4ckDHdRCH4oQqdYPegYIAQgFEAI) for a special community gathering! **What’s on the menu?** While [2$R](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=/g/11fkn49_yq&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj14_nkjsWSAxVt4ckDHdRCH4oQqdYPegYIAQgGEAI) typically serves a selection of [house-made sandwiches](https://twodollarradiohq.com/weekly-food) and vegan pastries, they are creating a **special menu** specifically for our event. You can also grab a coffee, tea, or a drink from their [full bar](https://twodollarradiohq.com/) of cocktails and beer. **The Main Event:** * **Play:** Bring a favorite game from home to share or dive into the ones available at the shop. * **Connect:** Meet new and old friends in a space that values independent culture and plant-based living. * **Support:** Help us champion a local, family-owned vegan business that doubles as a powerhouse [indie book publisher](https://twodollarradio.com/pages/headquarters). **Parking Instructions:** * **Street Parking:** There is free public street parking available on both sides of Parsons Avenue and on the surrounding residential side streets. * **Lot Parking:** The [Columbus Metropolitan Library](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=/g/126262ks5&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj14_nkjsWSAxVt4ckDHdRCH4oQqdYPegYIAQgKEAM) lot (1113 Parsons Ave) is located directly across the street and is available for guest use **only after the library has closed**. On Saturdays, the lot is typically available starting at 6:00 PM. * **Bike Parking:** For those cycling, there is a bike rack conveniently located at the corner of Cline and Parsons.

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** *Spec-Driven Development with GitHub Spec-Kit: From Intent to Implementation* Spec-driven development flips the traditional workflow on its head: instead of code being the source of truth, the specification becomes the backbone of design, collaboration, and delivery. In this session, we’ll explore how GitHub Spec-Kit enables teams to treat specifications as first-class artifacts—living documents that drive architecture, implementation, and verification. You’ll learn how Spec-Kit helps teams clearly express intent using structured, version-controlled specs that live alongside code. We’ll walk through a practical workflow that starts with defining system behavior and constraints, then progressively refines those specs into testable, automatable outcomes. Along the way, we’ll show how specs can reduce ambiguity, improve cross-functional collaboration, and make design decisions explicit before a single line of production code is written. This talk will cover: --What spec-driven development is (and what it isn’t) --How GitHub Spec-Kit fits into modern developer workflows --Using specs to align product, engineering, and AI-assisted development --Real-world examples of turning specs into implementations with confidence Whether you’re building greenfield systems, integrating AI into your stack, or trying to reduce costly rework, spec-driven development offers a scalable way to move faster without sacrificing clarity. Attendees will leave with concrete patterns and a clear mental model for adopting GitHub Spec-Kit in their own projects. **YouTube Link** TBA

We will show a variety of methods for building agents that run in Microsoft Foundry. This covers the different types of agents: Prompt, Multi, and Hosted, as well as the development lifecycle using evals and traces.