EPALE 10 Anniversary Community Conference
24/10/2025
EARLALL joined the EPALE Community Conference to celebrate its 10 anniversary on 23 October, aimed at connecting, cooperating and reflecting on learning in the age of AI.
The conference opened with a speech by Wilhelm Vukovich, DG EAC of the European Commission, who discussed both the opportunities and challenges that AI presents for education. He highlighted AI’s potential to personalise learning, enhance accessibility and remove barriers for individuals excluded from formal education. However, Vukovich cautioned about ethical concerns, data security and the importance of preserving the human touch in education, stating that “The human touch remains irreplaceable”. He praised EPALE’s role in fostering lifelong learning by supporting educators and promoting innovative approaches for learning.
Following this, Jill Peiffer and Margret Zeiner, representing Belgian Erasmus+ National Agencies (EPOS vzw & Jugendbüro), explored shared priorities among French, Flanders, and German-speaking communities in Belgium. Concluding by emphasizing lifelong learning as a driver of personal and regional growth, underlining the common commitment of all communities to adult education.
EPALE ambassadors then presented their initiatives to broaden access to education. Lut Lippeveld shared her work supporting education in prisons, highlighting efforts to engage excluded learners. Jenny Clavereau continued speaking about the potential of microcredentials and sharing EPALE toolkits across networks, while Pierre Goffin (SPW Wallonie) emphasised cross-regional collaboration, focusing on developing soft skills alongside technical expertise. Collectively, the ambassadors highlighted how EPALE fosters knowledge sharing, partnership building and innovative approaches for inclusive learning
across Europe.
The keynote of the day was delivered by Jeroen Baert, computer scientist and comedian, with “Artificial Intelligence: I’ve Got Opinions.” Using humour and accessible examples, Baert explained the fundamentals of AI and neural networks, including ChatGPT and other Large Language Models (LLM). Making complex data understandable, also concluding what AI is not by illustrating limitations through practical examples, from chess to football camera systems.
Baert concluded with his “Big Board of Bad News,” highlighting critical challenges for AI such as
- Lack of explainability behind generated concepts
- Bias in data that reinforces stereotypes for women and minorities
- Copyright violations
- The unethical and ecological use of AI
Baert argued that the AI “honeymoon” is over, fundamental LLM flaws persist, business models remain uncertain and society risks eroding its knowledge systems if it fails to critically distinguish human intelligence from machine imitation. Without sounding to harsh, Baert encouraged the participants to view it as a tool, and to always think critically when using AI, trusting peer reviewed material above AI models.
The conference concluded with closing remarks from the moderators, celebrating EPALE’s decade-long commitment to connecting educators, sharing practices, and inspiring innovation to ensure inclusive and lifelong learning for all. By taking part in this milestone event, EARLALL continues to support and promote more and better learning opportunities for all adults across Europe, in line with the goals of the EPALE community and the Erasmus+ programme.
