According to VUB Rector Jan Danckaert, anyone who experimented with AI six months ago and was disappointed with the results would do well to try again today. “The progress has been enormous.” In AI Unscripted, a podcast series by PwC Belgium, Danckaert explains what this rapid evolution means for education, research and the university itself.
Listen to the AI Unscripted episode with Rector Jan Danckaert.
The episode was recorded at FARI – AI for the Common Good Institute in Brussels. Artificial intelligence is by no means new to VUB: the university has been conducting AI research since the 1980s. What is different today is the speed at which the technology is evolving and the scale at which it is finding its way into science, education and the day-to-day operations of universities.
During the conversation, Danckaert offers a glimpse into how VUB is currently experimenting with AI. For example, AI was used to analyse around 4,000 course components, including to identify forms of assessment that may no longer be ‘AI-proof’. VUB is also exploring how AI can provide support in student appeals and governance processes, always with human oversight as a guiding principle.
What does AI mean for learning?
Danckaert sees opportunities for more personalised student support. At a diverse university such as VUB, students arrive with a wide range of backgrounds and prior knowledge. AI can help respond more effectively to those differences, alongside support from teaching assistants and professors.
At the same time, critical thinking remains essential. Students need to verify information, be transparent about their use of AI and remain actively engaged in the learning process rather than handing it over to AI. AI can also support research, but for Danckaert, the boundary is clear:
“The final judgement must remain human”
How we can harness the possibilities of AI without relinquishing human judgement is a recurring theme throughout the conversation. Danckaert also looks ahead to AI’s impact on science and future professions, as well as its growing energy demands and Europe’s position in the field.
Watch the full conversation with Jan Danckaert in AI Unscripted below via YouTube, or listen to the episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
A conversation that continues at the Academic Opening
The questions raised in the podcast will also take centre stage at VUB’s Academic Opening on 22 September. Under the theme ‘Artificial Age. Authentic Education?’, one central question comes to the fore: what kind of people does society need in an age in which AI is playing an increasingly important role?
A future that no one can predict with certainty also requires us to rethink what young people need to learn today, and what knowledge, skills and values a university can equip them with. During the opening ceremony, students, staff, alumni and societal partners will come together to discuss these questions.
Practical information
- Tuesday 22 September 2026, 15.30–17.00
- Aula Q, VUB Main Campus Etterbeek
- Registration opens on 24 August
- More information is available on the event page