If, as a researcher, you want to employ AI for or incorporate it into your research, you must consider several factors. One such factor comprises national and international legislation and guidelines. Depending on where you would conduct your research, you need to consider national (Belgian) and European legislation and guidelines.

Ghent University offers access to the AI tool Microsoft Copilot Chat. 
For more information, please consult Research Tip: GenAI: Copilot Chat as an AI assistant at Ghent University (choosing data security).

National legislation and guidelines

Currently, Belgian legislation regarding AI is still quite limited. However, a Flemish Artificial Intelligence Plan was launched in 2019, based on the Flanders Artificial Intelligence Policy Plan. They focus on research, the digitisation of enterprises, and the AI literacy of Flemish citizens. In 2022, the federal government followed up with the National Convergence Plan for the Development of Artificial Intelligence. This plan sets out nine concrete objectives to make Belgium a “SmartAINation”. Neither plan imposes any obligations, but their planned actions demonstrate an ambition to use AI responsibly.  

Guidelines are also offered as part of the Flemish AI Strategy. For further information and recommendations at Flemish level, please consult the website of the Knowledge Centre Data & Society.

European legislation and guidelines

At the European level, the AI Act is of great importance in addition to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and copyright laws (EU and Belgium) . The AI Act is the first comprehensive legal framework related to AI and aims at making Europe a global leader in trustworthy AI.

More information about the impact of the AI Act on the development of AI (for research purposes) can be found here.

The AI Act is part of a broader set of policies to support the development of trustworthy AI. The following guidelines are of great importance:

Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI (2019)

These guidelines date from 2019, but are still relevant and still being referenced. They focus mainly on the development of trustworthy AI, but most of the principles and observations also apply to the deployment and use of AI. They describe (1) the fundamental rights and four underlying ethical principles, (2) the seven key requirements of trustworthy AI and the (non-)technical methods to achieve it, and (3) an assessment list (test version). These guidelines are available in a range of languages.

For a summary of the Ethics Guidelines, click here. 

Assessment List for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence ("ALTAI", 2020)

This tool supports the implementation of the seven key requirements outlined in the Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI. It constitutes a checklist of reflective questions that may assist developers and users of AI to implement these principles in practice.

For more information about the ALTAI, click here. 

Living Guidelines on the Responsible Use of Generative AI in Research (most recent update in 2025)

These research-oriented guidelines are based on the 2019 guidelines and the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity by All European Academies (ALLEA). These guidelines focus rather on the responsible use of GenAI (rather than its development) in research. It contains concrete recommendations for and regarding (1) researchers, (2) research organisations and (3) research funding organisations.

For a summary of the recommendations for researchers in the Living Guidelines, click here.

The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (most recent update in 2023)

This code of conduct (also called ALLEA code) discusses the four fundamental principles of research integrity (reliability, honesty, respect, accountability), good research practices and the risk of research integrity violations. These guidelines are also available in several languages. It advises that researchers report their results and methods, including the use of external services or AI and automated tools, in a way that is consistent with accepted norms of the discipline and facilitates verification or replication, if applicable.

Want to learn more about the ALLEA code? Click here.

Want to know more about the ALLEA Code and (Gen)AI? Read the Research Tip "GenAI: Translating Research Integrity into Responsible (Gen)AI Use". 

Would you like more information about (Gen)AI at Ghent University?

Ghent University already offers a wealth of information about dealing with (generative) AI from various perspectives and for various purposes (e.g. about its functioning, risks, responsible use, tools and applications, exercises, training, peer review and evaluation, transcription, research proposals, etc.). An overview of all (Gen)AI-related pages can be found at “GenAI: Overview of information about (Gen)AI at Ghent University”, such as the research and education tips, the intranet, the general webpage, the Ufora infosites, etc.

 Be sure to take a look at our general webpage “Generative AI at Ghent University”! Here you will find the official framework for the responsible use of AI at Ghent University, an overview of basic information, and the range of information and training courses offered at Ghent University.