About us

PauseAI Belgium is the Belgian chapter of PauseAI, an international grassroots movement asking for a pause on the development of the most powerful AI systems until we know how to make them safe. Some of us work in AI, cybersecurity or EU policy; many of us do not. Nobody is paid.

We are independent of any political party, peaceful and non-violent. We are not against AI: we use AI tools ourselves. We oppose one race, the race to build systems more powerful than us before anyone knows how to control them.

Why we joined

People come to PauseAI Belgium for different reasons. Here is one of them:

I used to work in a small AI lab, where I came to see the risks that come with AI. The people building these systems now say openly that they cannot fully control them, yet most people around me had no idea. I joined PauseAI because it had already worked out what ordinary people can do with little time and few resources. Now is the time to tell others. A PauseAI Belgium volunteer

Worried too? You do not need a background in AI to help: see how you can join.

How we work

We start from facts. One exaggerated claim costs a movement more than ten correct ones earn it. We check every figure we use against its source, and we link to it.

We listen first. People come to this from many places: their job, their privacy, deepfakes, the energy used by data centres, their children. Those worries are real. We take them seriously, and then show how they connect to the bigger risk of losing control of AI altogether.

We lead by example. Minds change when people see others acting, rather than when they hear one more complaint. A few people who show up, calmly and regularly, change what feels normal to talk about.

We use democracy as it is meant to be used. Laws are the will of people written down. Politicians act when they see that their voters care, and showing them is our job. You do not need to be an activist to do it: an email to your representative already counts.

We work with others. We joined the WeMove Europe petition made with PauseAI, which more than 60,000 people across Europe signed in its first weeks. We stay in touch with PauseAI chapters in France and the United Kingdom, and with other AI safety groups in Brussels.

What we have done

• 21–23 February 2026: PauseCon came to Brussels: two days of training for PauseAI organisers from many countries, then a public conference in the European Parliament with Stuart Russell and Brando Benifei MEP, who steered the AI Act through Parliament as co-rapporteur.
• Since July 2026, a call every week, open to all members.
• Summer 2026: we helped write to Members of the European Parliament about the OpenAI and Hugging Face incident, asking them to question the Commission on whether the AI Act covers it and to sign the Statement on Superintelligence.
• 5–7 September 2026: some of us went to PauseCon in London, where chapters from many countries trained together and met British members of parliament.
• 21 September 2026: a demonstration of over 30 people in front of the European Parliament, as part of a PauseAI week of action across the world. Two journalists came.
• 11 October 2026: we handed out 750 flyers at the Brussels Climate March.

Sandwich boards at the Climate March, Brussels, 11 October 2026. We handed out 750 flyers.

How we are organised

Everything is coordinated in a weekly online call and a group chat. Two working groups carry most of the work:

• MEPs and politicians: writing to Belgian MEPs and members of parliament, and building a relationship with them over time. How you can help.
• Events: demonstrations, stands, flyering, and a monthly in-person meetup we are starting on weekends.

Each member does what fits their time and skills. Some come to one demonstration a year, others write emails every week, translate, take photos or keep our social media going.

Get in touch

The easiest way in is to write to alexandre@pauseai.info. Tell us a little about yourself and what you would like to do, and we will welcome you on a call, add you to the group and help you take a first step. You can also sign up as a PauseAI volunteer and choose Belgium.