Bertrand Cassar – La Poste Groupe: Anticipating the Challenges of Responsible AI and Compliance

La Poste Groupe is strengthening its commitment to Responsible AI by joining Positive AI as a member.

Interview with Bertrand Cassar, Director of Strategic Data Valorization and Doctor in Digital Law at La Poste Groupe

 

La Poste Groupe has joined Positive AI. How does this complement the initiatives you are already involved in?

For several years, La Poste Groupe has been actively addressing ethical challenges related to artificial intelligence systems to ensure they are considered in the deployment of new services. These commitments align with the group’s key role as a trusted third party, as well as its objectives as a mission-driven company.

We have implemented an internal Trustworthy AI approach to raise awareness among our employees about these issues, while also participating in dedicated associations such as Hub France IA, where we hold the VP role for Trustworthy AI within this ecosystem.

In this context, Positive AI’s work resonated with our desire to share knowledge within a diverse and dynamic ecosystem.

Moreover, Positive AI has introduced a trust label, which could serve as an inspiring benchmark in preparing for the future requirements of the AI Act.

 

La Poste Groupe launched the Data & AI Charter in 2024. Can you tell us more about it?

The Data & AI Charter is the result of the various ethical principles adopted by the group. As early as 2016, La Poste introduced a Data Charter to raise awareness among employees ahead of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

In 2022, we presented ethical principles for Trustworthy AI internally, alongside the establishment of a governance body (the Committee for Trustworthy AI), which was built upon the same ethical approach that inspired the AI Act.

With the imminent adoption of the AI Act, we have updated and consolidated all our principles related to data and AI systems within a single framework, incorporating our vision, approach, and innovation challenges. More importantly, the Data & AI Charter builds upon our existing work while laying the groundwork for a better understanding of the AI Act’s regulatory requirements.

 

Our priority from the beginning has been to place people at the heart of the transition to AI, supporting this evolution through change management and raising awareness among our employees.

 

What are the next objectives for La Poste Groupe regarding Responsible AI and data governance?

Our ethical approach serves as a foundation to ensure the effective implementation of the new European AI system requirements. Over the past two years, we have worked to create strong internal connections between data professionals and legal experts, fostering cross-functional collaboration.

We are also exploring digital solutions that will allow us to monitor and ensure the trustworthiness of our AI systems over time. Additionally, La Poste Groupe has been a key sponsor of the SPECS Afnor initiative on Frugal AI, in line with our core values.

Above all, our main priority—which has guided us from the start—is to place humans at the heart of this transition and support this evolution through change management and awareness initiatives for all our employees.

In this regard, the Positive AI ecosystem represents a valuable learning network where we hope to both gain insights and contribute our expertise.