Bastia Ville Digitale returns for its 16th edition from October 12 to 17 at the Alb'Oru. Organized by the Emaho association in partnership with the local government and the Bastia urban community, the event aims to educate schoolchildren and the general public about digital technology, its benefits, and the challenges it presents. The event has remained true to its original goal: to make digital technology accessible to as many people as possible, especially those who were previously far from it. "At the time, there was nothing related to digital technology in Corsica, and nothing aimed at the populations who needed it the most, namely the city's priority neighborhoods," explains Élodie Poignet, development officer and mission head at the Emaho association. "That's why we started offering something for the youth from priority neighborhoods, but also more broadly for the general population of Bastia." This year, schoolchildren are at the center of the event's programming, with several activities designed to help them explore the use of digital technology. "We have a path on education and information where the young people will create a news broadcast around fake news to realize that they should not believe everything they see," says Élodie Poignet. "We also have a more technical path with robotics, and another path on digital citizenship and culture." For the general public, the focus is on discovering the jobs and opportunities available in the digital sector. "The novelty this year is that we are organizing a career café on Wednesday: the idea is to provide tools, particularly for young people, to get them interested in digital careers," she adds. "It is a sector that has evolved so much. Previously, it was very specific jobs, but now it is cross-cutting, and it is important that young people can take it in hand confidently." Artificial intelligence will be a central topic in several workshops this year. It will play a key role in the third edition of the Rencontres de l'Esprit Critique, which focuses on the theme "AI of what to doubt." Three workshops will be specifically designed for schoolchildren: "The Future Jobs: Will You Survive AI?" to explore tomorrow's jobs in the age of artificial intelligence, "James Bond versus Artificial Intelligence" to help students detect fake news and develop critical thinking, and "Is AI nice?" to understand how generative artificial intelligences work, their capabilities, and their biases and limits. For the organizers, the main challenge is to help young people better understand the tools they use every day. "We will hold workshops on artificial intelligence so that young people realize what it is," says Élodie Poignet. "They all have a phone, but it is not obvious to understand what an algorithm is, to understand the biases of AI... It is important to understand that AI is neither intelligent nor artificial, because it is based on everything we have created, and it is important to have a critical mind regarding the use of this tool, to ensure safe use behind it."