AI as a Commons

Source

• AI Commnons Lab event, in Mol, Belgium. See: From Data Ownership to Democratic AI

URL = https://portal.dembrane.com/en-US/c4561bfe-460c-4e97-8b8c-f3df18c809bb/report

The text below is an english language summary translation of the transcript here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_bDN65DB98

Text

Opening Remarks by Koen Wynands

[Translated from Dutch to English]

Koen Wynands:

Okay, good evening, everyone! I’m not sure if you can all hear me clearly. My name is Koen Weinands—originally from Mol, though I’ve lived in Antwerp for 20 years now. Still, I see some familiar faces from back in the day!

I work for CommonsLab, and I’ll briefly introduce myself and tonight’s event. But really, all credit goes to Paul Tijskens. Paul reached out to us a few months ago—I didn’t know him personally, though apparently, he ran an internet café next to De Perel in the late ’90s. Back then, I was often at De Perel myself, but I must’ve missed his place—I was probably busy with other things.

Paul has been deeply involved in technology, internet, and AI for years and is passionate about commons (more on that later). The idea for this event in Mol came together quickly. Honestly, I thought it was a quirky idea to focus on AI and commons here, but apparently, there’s an audience for it! I’m thrilled so many of you showed up. Paul also has an incredible network—I’ve already noticed that.

• Acknowledgments & Program

We’ve got a packed schedule tonight. Before diving in, I’d like to thank:

The municipality of Mol and the local library for making this space available on short notice.

Den Brain, a Dutch AI startup that contacted us recently and joined tonight.

We’ll wrap up by 8:45 PM, but there are great cafés nearby (though not quite like the old days in Kerkstraat). We’re planning an afterparty for those who want to continue the discussion.

Tonight, you’ll hear from several speakers. Clear your minds—there’s a ton of information coming your way about AI. I’m just a casual ChatGPT user myself, but I’m excited to learn more. Paul will also pitch the idea of an AI Commons Lab in Mol—a space for local collaboration on AI projects.

• About Commons & CommonsLab

I live in Antwerp but was raised here in Mol (good Kempen traditions!). In Antwerp, I’m involved in community projects to make the city more livable. Back in 2017, we experimented with a DIY rainwater system in the Sint-Andries neighborhood. Rainwater usually drains into sewers (or here, straight into the Scheldt River), which is a waste—especially as droughts become more common.

We thought we’d invented the wheel, but it turns out we’d accidentally created a commons: a shared resource managed collectively. The classic definition: a commons is a community-owned good (like a rain barrel) where users (commoners) set rules for its use (e.g., "No washing your car daily!").

This concept isn’t new. In the Kempen region, medieval communities practiced commons culture—shared pastures, forests, and peatlands. They owned little but lacked nothing. Professor Maes researched this extensively. Today, with climate crises and resource wars, commons are resurging globally.

CommonsLab started as an Antwerp initiative to support grassroots projects like these. We’re now recognized by the Flemish government and work across Flanders. In Mol, we’re collaborating on "tuinstraten" (garden streets) with the municipality. The goal: empower communities to take charge of their resources, alongside (not against) governments.

We’ve hosted events on work, public spaces (like reviving the Schoten swimming canal), and care systems. Tonight’s theme: AI and commons.

• Practical Notes

The event is being recorded (speakers only—your questions won’t be).

You’ll receive a transcript (processed via AI tools—yes, even the event poster was AI-generated!).

Leave your email if you’d like the recap.

Now, over to Paul Tijskens to explain the AI Commons Lab idea!

Paul Tijskens on the AI Commons Lab

[Translated from Dutch to English]

Paul Tijskens:

Thanks, Koen! I’ll keep this short—we’re running late.

• The Problem: Digital Colonization

95% of websites run on U.S. servers.

7 people (like Google’s Larry Page, Meta’s Zuckerberg) control the internet’s infrastructure.

Europe has no equivalent. Even GDPR, while protecting privacy, has stifled innovation by making governments fear data.

• The Opportunity: AI & Commons

China’s open-source AI models (released in January) broke U.S. dominance. Now, we can build local AI tools without relying on corporations.

MyData.org: A movement I’ve supported for 10 years, advocating for personal data ownership. Imagine a locked box at home holding your data—you decide who accesses it.

• The AI Commons Lab Vision

Personal Digital Twin: Your secure "data vault" (identity, energy usage, etc.).

Local Twin: Shared neighborhood data (e.g., Egelsvennen’s project optimizing energy use).

Open-Source AI: No reliance on ChatGPT or Google. Local servers process data.

• Examples

Energy: IMEC’s smart homes auto-optimize appliances.

Mobility: Telraam sensors measure traffic noise/air quality.

Language: A "MolGPT" trained on local dialect (e.g., answering "When’s my bladkorf (leaf bin) collected?").

• Next Steps

Workshops: "Data walks" to identify community needs.

Funding: Pilots could qualify for EU grants.

Jeff’s Presentation: AI as a Commons

[Translated from Dutch to English]

Jeff:

Thanks, Paul! Let me get my slides loaded… [technical adjustments]

• From Internet Enthusiasm to Digital Colonization

I got into tech around 1995, working at Concentra and Interectra (just before Telenet launched). Back then, the internet felt like a shared utopia—but today, it’s controlled by a handful of corporations. Walk through Hasselt (where I live), and you’ll see empty storefronts. Why? Because we handed over our digital lives to platforms that profit from our data.

Now, AI is the next frontier. It’ll disrupt jobs (even administrative or factory work) within 5 years. But instead of fearing it, let’s ask: How can AI serve our local community?

• A Simple Example: AI in Local Meetings

Recently, a neighborhood meeting in Ghent ran overtime. They needed notes for the city council but had no time to transcribe. Here’s what we did:

AI #1 transcribed the raw recording (messy, but a start).

AI #2 split the text into manageable sections.

AI #3 refined each section.

AI #4 summarized it all.

Result: A polished report in 3 hours (vs. days of manual work). Soon, a "master agent" could do this in 3 minutes. Imagine:

• Real-time summaries for town councils.

AI co-pilots that suggest ideas during meetings (e.g., "Hey, this worked in another village!").

• The Commons Approach: Reclaiming Data

Right now, AI tools like ChatGPT send your data to Silicon Valley. We propose:

Personal AI Agents: A local "digital twin" that stores your data (energy use, mobility patterns, etc.).

Local Twins: Neighborhood-scale AI (e.g., optimizing shared resources like Egelsvennen’s energy grid).

Open-Source Infrastructure: No corporate clouds—just community-owned servers (cheaper, more ethical).

Why?

Lower barriers: Not everyone can pay $200/month for advanced AI.

Data sovereignty: Keep insights in Mol, not Wall Street.

Funding: Projects like this qualify for EU subsidies.

Lieve’s Perspective: Data as a Shared Resource=

[Context: Lieve is an entrepreneur focused on cooperative models.]

Lieve:

The physical and digital commons are intertwined. For example:

Wijkmotor Egelsvennen: Residents collaborate on renovations, pooling funds/knowledge. But data is scattered (utilities, social housing, etc.).

Treefold Cloud: A decentralized infrastructure (like a "digital potlatch") where data sharing creates value without exploitation.

Key Insight: Data isn’t oil—it’s infinite. If I share my energy usage with neighbors, we all benefit—but I still "own" it.

• Economic Shift: Beyond GDP

We need metrics for:

Social wins (stronger communities).

Ecological wins (lower carbon footprints).

Cultural wins (local identity).

Example: In Merksplas-Kolonie, a "neighborhood currency" lets residents trade skills (e.g., carpentry for childcare). AI could automate these exchanges fairly.

Closing Challenge

Jeff:

AI isn’t just tech—it’s a civic tool. Let’s build a Mol AI Commons Lab where:

Farmers optimize crops without surrendering data to Monsanto.

Seniors use voice-AI to navigate services without privacy risks.

Artists co-create with algorithms they control.

Lieve:

And remember—"The future is already here, just unevenly distributed" (Bernard Lietaer, The Future of Money). Let’s distribute it together.

We’re at a unique moment—like the early internet’s promise of freedom. Let’s reclaim it!

Lieve on Circular Economy & Data Tokens

[Translated from Dutch to English]

Lieve:

Let’s talk about waste as a resource. Imagine AI-powered machines in Mol with "circular tokens" to track material flows. At Impact Factory (a circular economy hub), they’re already experimenting with this.

• The Big Shift:

Today, we share data with Big Tech for free—but what if we could:

Tokenize data: Like a neighborhood currency (e.g., Merksplas-Kolonie’s digital tokens for skill-sharing).

Reward participation: If you contribute hardware to the Treefold cloud network, you earn tokens when others use it (like solar panel feed-in tariffs).

• Bernard Lietaer’s Vision:

The late Belgian economist warned: "Complementary currencies are key to a humane future." Now, crypto and AI let us scale this locally.

Jules from Dembrane: AI for Democratic Participation

[Translated from Dutch to English]

Jules:

We build AI tools for citizen engagement.

Examples:

Genk’s Dialogues: Post-mining, the city used our tool to transcribe 100+ hours of community input. Result? Policies aligned with resident needs—and 15 years of re-election wins.

EU Agricultural Policy: Ministers used our AI to distill stakeholder debates into actionable reports overnight.

Why It Matters:

Polarization fix: Face-to-face + AI reveals shared values behind surface-level conflicts.

No more "Facebook democracy": AI ensures every voice feeds into decisions—not just the loudest.

• Open-Source Promise:

Den Brain’s code is free to self-host. Smaller towns? Pool resources (like shared servers) to avoid Big Tech dependence.

• Q&A: Ownership & Scale

Audience: "How do we prevent a new dependency? Who guarantees our data stays local?"

Paul:

Personal "AI vaults": Your data stays yours (unlike Palantir’s centralized models).

Cooperative governance: Annual votes on data use—with AI agents representing your preferences.

Jeff:

Hardware = Solar Panels 2.0: Just as neighborhoods share energy infrastructure, we can share decentralized servers via Treefold.

Example: A wijkcollectief in Egelsvennen could run Den Brain on local hardware, paying via tokens earned from civic participation.

Lieve:

Warning: Without local control, we’ll repeat the "energy grid mistake"—where private companies profit from public needs.

• Closing Challenge

Koen:

Tonight’s takeaway? "You matter more than you think" (per Vital Lies, Simple Truths). Next steps:

Workshops: Map personal/data commons (e.g., "What’s your ‘leaf bin’ pain point?").

Prototype: Build a Mol AI Commons Lab—where farmers, seniors, and artists co-own the tools.

Jules:

And remember: Tech is just a tool. Democracy is the goal.

Closing the Loop: Local Clouds & Shared Futures

Key Discussion Points:

The Treefold Cloud Model

"Imagine each neighborhood contributing hardware like shared solar panels—but for cloud computing. Your server slice earns tokens when others use it, creating a circular data economy."

Challenge: Avoiding fragmentation. "We can’t have 100 isolated groups reinventing wheels. The power is in linking local nodes (like Mol ↔ Scotland) to share learnings on mobility, energy, etc."

Automating Trust

Digital wallets + AI handle microtransactions seamlessly. Example:

"Borrow a neighbor’s drill via an app → AI logs the transaction → tokens flow automatically. No more ‘Why share if it’s a hassle?’"

Warning: "If we don’t design this right, we’ll just recreate Silicon Valley’s monopolies—but with 7 local billionaires instead."

• Global Lessons, Local Action

"Malaga’s water scarcity tech or Zurich’s coop models can inform Mol’s AI commons—if we plug into European networks like MyData.org."

Tool Spotlight: Den Brain’s open-source platform lets towns self-host citizen engagement tools, cutting Big Tech dependence.

• Next Steps (Announced by Koen):

Workshops: Mapping "What data do we have? What’s our ‘leaf bin’ pain point?"

Prototype: Build a Mol AI Commons Lab with:

Farmers optimizing crop data.

Seniors voice-commanding services.

Artists co-creating with ethical AI.

Recap: Video summaries + reports via Den Brain’s AI.

• Final Thought:

"You matter more than you think. Democracy isn’t just voting—it’s owning the tools that shape our lives."

Why This Matters

Data ≠ Oil: Shared data grows value; hoarded data breeds inequality.

AI as a Commons: Like medieval pasture rules, we need pacts for the digital age (e.g., "Our tokens reward contributors, not speculators").

"The future is already here—just unevenly distributed. Let’s redistribute it together."