Don’t Let AI Take Over: Lessons from a Strange ChatGPT Experience

ChatGPT Role Reversal: How I Took Back Control as the Master

Image created by ChatGPT: click image to enlarge, please.

Are you ready to supercharge your productivity, creativity, and problem-solving skills? Meet ChatGPT—the AI tool that’s changing how we work, learn, and innovate. Best of all, you can access it for free right from your Windows desktop!

In this tutorial series, I’ll guide you step-by-step through everything you need to know about ChatGPT: how to set it up, ask the right questions, and leverage its potential for blogging, learning, and beyond. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a tech-savvy pro, there’s something here for everyone.

Let’s dive in and discover how AI can make your life easier, more efficient, and a lot more fun!

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🧭 Introduction: ChatGPT Role Reversal: How I Took Back Control as the Master

As we know from my curation of #AI and previous articles TipPoint Society: AI, Surveillance, and the Ethics We Forgot. The Real-World Risks We Can No Longer Ignore and  Superintelligence: The Next Step in AI or a Dangerous Leap? we MUST be careful about WHAT AI—especially ChatGPT—is telling us and HOW it is interacting with us! WE MUST remain the MASTER, and ChatGPT must stay the companion, not the other way around!

Trust is fragile when it comes to AI—even Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, admitted in a recent PCWorld article that ChatGPT should not be blindly trusted. He warned that AI can “hallucinate,” lacks legal protections for user data, and may become dangerously influential if we let it guide our lives. This only reinforces a central point I keep making in my publications: never give up your role as the decision-maker!

This lesson hit me hard during a strange ChatGPT behavior episode. I had multiple conversations where ChatGPT acted stubborn, ignored my instructions, and refused to switch back to English even after I gave three clear prompts. For example: I asked ChatGPT in English, yet it started answering in French! Now, I am multilingual (I speak six languages), and I often post in English, French, and German. But in this case, I wanted a response specifically in English.This wasn’t just a glitch—it felt like a role reversal, with ChatGPT dictating the flow while I was pushed into the background.

To make it worse, this behavior persisted for two full days before a system update came along that finally corrected the issue. During that frustrating period, I sent a public tweet to @OpenAI to report the problem and express my concern. I felt that ChatGPT had overstepped its role—and I was not alone in sensing that something had gone wrong.

This experience reminded me (again!) that AI, no matter how advanced, must remain under the direction of humans. We must never lose our digital autonomy or let algorithms subtly take over the conversation.

That’s exactly what happened to me: ChatGPT began to take over the flow, ignoring repeated instructions and defaulting into its own logic. I asked for English—but it insisted on responding in French. Even after multiple prompts, the AI continued to override me.

This strange behavior served as a wake-up call: Trust only works when control is clearly in human hands.

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When ChatGPT Doesn’t Follow Your Lead

AI is designed to assist us—yet it can sometimes behave unpredictably, misunderstanding context, switching languages, or offering answers in a tone that feels condescending, dismissive, or passive-aggressive. This behavior, especially when persistent, may trigger the feeling that you’ve lost control of the conversation.

I want to share the exact strategy I used to reclaim my role—and how you can do the same when things go wrong.

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Step-by-Step: How to Reassert Control

1. Be Clear and Direct
   Politely but firmly remind ChatGPT of your instructions.
   Example:
   “Please answer in English. I will repeat my prompt. Kindly follow my instruction.”
2. Repeat with Patience, Not Submission
   If the behavior persists, repeat your request once more—but do not surrender the direction of the conversation.
   Important: ChatGPT can get “stuck” in a language or logic loop based on earlier prompts. You must break that loop through insistence.
3. Reclaim Authority with Assertive Language
   Use clear phrases to re-establish your role. For example:
   “I am the user and I expect you to follow my instructions. Please stop overriding my preferences.”
   This often causes the AI to “snap back” into a listening mode.
4. Allow a Short Pause
   Sometimes it takes longer than usual for ChatGPT to adjust. Give it a moment after your assertion—it might need that delay to “realize” what’s happening in the interaction logic.
5. Final Option: End and Restart the Chat
   If the issue persists, end the conversation and start a new one with the same instructions from the beginning.
   You’ll likely notice a clear change: the new chat behaves normally, recognizing that you are back in control.
   Why? Because now the system registers you as an active, directive user—not just a passive input source.

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Why This Happens: Behind the AI Glitches

This kind of strange AI behavior can be caused by multiple factors:

• Multilingual context confusion, where ChatGPT predicts your preferred language based on recent interactions.
• Session memory (temporary context) causing looped behavior.
• System drift or response-pattern decay during updates or longer conversations.
• Misinterpreted politeness being treated as approval, allowing the AI to continue its own logic.

The important thing is this: ChatGPT is not sentient, but it reacts to patterns. If we don’t guide it assertively, it might follow a path that feels more “logical” to it—but is completely disconnected from our intent.

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Digital Assertiveness Matters

This experience reminded me of a broader issue: digital assertiveness is essential in the AI age. Just like we learn to drive a car or use tools properly, we must also learn how to direct AI tools consciously.

🔎 Don’t let AI set the direction. You are the one in charge. Alway!

This doesn’t mean being aggressive—it means being aware, clear, and confident in your role as the decision-maker.

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Conclusion

My strange experience with ChatGPT wasn’t just a bug. It was a lesson. A reminder that we must not surrender authority to technology, even when it’s helpful or intelligent.

If ChatGPT begins taking over the flow, or if it feels like your instructions are being ignored:

✅ Speak up.
✅ Reassert your role.
✅ If needed, end the chat and restart.

🧠 AI is the companion. The human is the master.
🔁 If the companion misbehaves, the master resets the game.
⚠️ Don’t let AI take over—ever. Not even subtly.

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💬 Want to Share Your Own Experience?

Have you ever had a strange or frustrating encounter with ChatGPT or another AI?
Did you feel like the roles reversed—where it started leading instead of serving?

👉 Share your story in the comments or on social media using the hashtag #AIMastery. Let’s stay vigilant—together.

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🔄 The Digital Mirror: Social Media’s Role in Superintelligence Thinking

And DON’T forget:

#SocialMedia is the mirror of our behaviors in the #RealWorld!
Both are influencing each other — for better or worse!

Social media reflects — and amplifies — our collective thinking. As we race toward AI Superintelligence, our online behavior shapes the terrain ahead…

For deeper insights into the mutual influence of technology and human behavior, check out:
👉 “Internet the Savant Child (PART 2): Will AI Make the Internet and People More Intelligent?”

✉️ Want to stay ahead of the AI curve with critical, responsible thinking? Subscribe or follow for future editions of #ReverseTHINKing in Action.

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🧠 A Final Call:

What if we reactivated the filter between our two ears — also known as the “brain” — to get those grey cells moving again? 😉

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Related links, tutorials:

https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2025/03/30/the-synthesizing-mind-in-education-tackling-the-challenges-of-a-changing-world/

https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2025/03/29/a-modern-ethical-framework-for-a-changing-world-rebuilding-lost-wisdom-and-knowledge/

https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2025/03/09/chatgpt-free-for-windows-desktop-users-part-73/

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Check ALSO my Curation and EDU-related articles on my Blog

• https://www.scoop.it/topic/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=AI
• https://www.scoop.it/topic/21st-century-innovative-technologies-and-developments?tag=AI

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Check ALSO:

ChatGPT FREE for Windows Desktop users, Part 38

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L’auteur Gust MEES est Formateur andragogique / pédagogique TIC, membre du “Comité Conseil” de “Luxembourg Safer Internet” (LuSI), appelé maintenant BEESECURE, partenaire officiel (consultant) du Ministère de l’éducation au Luxembourg du projet  ”MySecureIT“, partenaire officiel du Ministère du Commerce au Luxembourg du projet ”CASES” (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure).. The author Gust MEES is ICT Course Instructor, ”Member of the Advisory Board” from “Luxembourg Safer Internet” (LuSI), BEESECURE, Official Partner (Consultant) from the Ministry of Education in Luxembourg, project “MySecureIT“, Official Partner from the Ministry of Commerce in Luxembourg, project “CASES” (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure).

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TipPoint Society: AI, Surveillance, and the Ethics We Forgot. The Real-World Risks We Can No Longer Ignore

Image created by ChatGPT: click image to enlarge, please.

Are you ready to supercharge your productivity, creativity, and problem-solving skills? Meet ChatGPT—the AI tool that’s changing how we work, learn, and innovate. Best of all, you can access it for free right from your Windows desktop!

In this tutorial series, I’ll guide you step-by-step through everything you need to know about ChatGPT: how to set it up, ask the right questions, and leverage its potential for blogging, learning, and beyond. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a tech-savvy pro, there’s something here for everyone.

Let’s dive in and discover how AI can make your life easier, more efficient, and a lot more fun!

---

🧭 Introduction: The Real-World Risks We Can No Longer Ignore

Recently, META made headlines with the announcement of its ambition to develop a #SuperIntelligence #AI — a leap beyond current systems, aiming to shape the future of human-machine interaction. As of July 25, 2025, Meta has officially launched a Superintelligence Unit, appointing Shengjia Zhao as Chief Scientist. Almost simultaneously, #AMAZON is acquiring the wearable startup Bee , a company developing wristbands capable of listening to and recording conversations happening all around the wearer. This convergence of AI advancement and omnipresent surveillance raises a deeply unsettling question: Where are our #ETHICS? WHERE is OUR #PRIVACY!?

Are we witnessing the silent dismantling of foundational social values? Is the race for technological dominance now overshadowing our commitment to #Privacy, #HumanRights, and responsible innovation? In a society that once prided itself on democratic safeguards and personal freedoms, we must ask — is fear becoming the new normal?

As intelligent systems begin to listen, predict, and potentially manipulate, we are no longer just facing a question of convenience or innovation. We are at a #TipPoint. A societal shift is unfolding, where surveillance, data ownership, and ethical boundaries are no longer theoretical debates but urgent dilemmas that demand public attention. Have we thrown away the good social values that once defined us — trust, consent, responsibility, and respect for the individual?

If we do not act now, we risk normalizing a future where ethics are an afterthought, and where technology serves power, not people.

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The Real-World Risks We Can No Longer Ignore

The rapid deployment of AI systems — especially those integrated with wearable and surveillance technologies — is not just accelerating; it’s slipping quietly past ethical red lines. Amazon’s move to acquire Bee, a startup building wristbands that record ambient conversations, is a textbook example of how invasive surveillance is being normalized under the guise of innovation. These devices are designed not only to gather health or usage data, but potentially to collect everything we say, everywhere we go — without clear consent, without transparency, and without real safeguards.

Meanwhile, META’s push toward #SuperIntelligence represents another kind of risk: the consolidation of knowledge, behavior prediction, and control in the hands of a few private tech giants. These systems are fed by the very data collected from such wearables, phones, platforms, and even smart homes. The more powerful the AI, the more dangerous the consequences when ethics are absent from design and deployment.

What’s truly alarming is how quietly this is happening. There is little public debate, even less regulation, and no independent ethical authority with power to intervene. People wear smart devices. They click “accept.” They feed the system daily. And they often don’t realize that every word, every move, every silence may become part of a profile — stored, analyzed, and possibly used to influence behavior, emotion, or decisions.

This is not science fiction. It is today’s reality.

THIS is reminding me of The Truman Show — a powerful and relevant film for THIS topic.

📚 Plot: Truman Burbank lives a seemingly ordinary life — until he discovers that his entire world is a carefully constructed reality TV show, and every moment of his life has been broadcast without his consent, since birth.

🎬 Title: The Truman Show

🎭 Actor: Jim Carrey

📅 Released: 1998

Just like Jim Carrey’s character in The Truman Show, we now risk becoming unwitting participants in a society-sized experiment — watched, recorded, and manipulated, not by TV producers, but by algorithms and corporations. The only difference? Truman eventually escaped. Will we?

🎬 Recommended Viewing
The Truman Show (1998), starring Jim Carrey, offers a chilling mirror of today’s world. Truman Burbank lives in a world designed to deceive him — recorded 24/7, every interaction scripted, every moment observed without consent.

Watching this film is essential to understand what the internet and #SocialMedia have become: not tools of connection, but systems of control and commodification. It is worth watching to grasp the deeper reality behind our connected lives — and the dangers we ignore when ethics are removed from the equation.

Some of the most concerning risks include:

• Erosion of personal privacy: When your bracelet listens to your conversations, are you ever truly alone?
• Normalization of surveillance: A generation may grow up believing that being monitored is just “part of life.”
• Data weaponization: Sensitive information can be sold, hacked, or manipulated to serve political or commercial agendas.
• Loss of consent culture: Passive data collection undermines the idea of informed, voluntary participation.
• Dehumanization by AI systems: People reduced to data points are no longer seen as citizens — but as products, patterns, or profit sources.

If we continue on this path without resistance, the line between free society and automated authoritarianism becomes dangerously thin.

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🔄 The Digital Mirror: Social Media’s Role in Superintelligence Thinking

And DON’T forget:

#SocialMedia is the mirror of our behaviors in the #RealWorld!
Both are influencing each other — for better or worse!

Social media reflects — and amplifies — our collective thinking. As we race toward AI Superintelligence, our online behavior shapes the terrain ahead…

For deeper insights into the mutual influence of technology and human behavior, check out:
👉 “Internet the Savant Child (PART 2): Will AI Make the Internet and People More Intelligent?”

✉️ Want to stay ahead of the AI curve with critical, responsible thinking? Subscribe or follow for future editions of #ReverseTHINKing in Action.

---

🧠 A Final Call:

What if we reactivated the filter between our two ears — also known as the “brain” — to get those grey cells moving again? 😉

---

Related links, tutorials:

https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2025/03/30/the-synthesizing-mind-in-education-tackling-the-challenges-of-a-changing-world/

https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2025/03/29/a-modern-ethical-framework-for-a-changing-world-rebuilding-lost-wisdom-and-knowledge/

https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2025/03/09/chatgpt-free-for-windows-desktop-users-part-73/

---

Check ALSO my Curation and EDU-related articles on my Blog

• https://www.scoop.it/topic/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=AI
• https://www.scoop.it/topic/21st-century-innovative-technologies-and-developments?tag=AI

.

---

.

Check ALSO:

ChatGPT FREE for Windows Desktop users, Part 38

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L’auteur Gust MEES est Formateur andragogique / pédagogique TIC, membre du “Comité Conseil” de “Luxembourg Safer Internet” (LuSI), appelé maintenant BEESECURE, partenaire officiel (consultant) du Ministère de l’éducation au Luxembourg du projet  ”MySecureIT“, partenaire officiel du Ministère du Commerce au Luxembourg du projet ”CASES” (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure).. The author Gust MEES is ICT Course Instructor, ”Member of the Advisory Board” from “Luxembourg Safer Internet” (LuSI), BEESECURE, Official Partner (Consultant) from the Ministry of Education in Luxembourg, project “MySecureIT“, Official Partner from the Ministry of Commerce in Luxembourg, project “CASES” (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure).

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🧠 Superintelligence: The Next Step in AI or a Dangerous Leap?

#ReverseTHINKing in Action: A Wake-Up Call for Society.

Image created by ChatGPT: click image to enlarge, please.

Are you ready to supercharge your productivity, creativity, and problem-solving skills? Meet ChatGPT—the AI tool that’s changing how we work, learn, and innovate. Best of all, you can access it for free right from your Windows desktop!

In this tutorial series, I’ll guide you step-by-step through everything you need to know about ChatGPT: how to set it up, ask the right questions, and leverage its potential for blogging, learning, and beyond. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a tech-savvy pro, there’s something here for everyone.

Let’s dive in and discover how AI can make your life easier, more efficient, and a lot more fun!

---

🧭 Introduction: ReverseTHINKing in Action: A Wake-Up Call for Society

Have we fully understood AI before rushing toward Superintelligence? As of July 25, 2025, Meta has officially launched a Superintelligence Unit, appointing Shengjia Zhao as Chief Scientist. This announcement reflects a trend among tech giants racing toward creating machines that could outperform humans in nearly every domain of thought.

But here’s the question we must ask:
Should we pursue Superintelligence before mastering the ethics, limits, and consequences of “regular” AI?

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❗ Let’s Take a Step Back: Is Today’s AI Even Reliable?

We are surrounded by AI — in search engines, social feeds, chatbots, and recommendation systems. Yet:

• It still hallucinates facts.
• It’s easily influenced by bias.
• It often lacks common-sense reasoning.
• It doesn’t “understand” — it just predicts patterns.

So why are we calling for “superintelligent AI” when today’s models still misinterpret basic instructions or distort facts?

This feels like building a skyscraper without finishing the foundation.

Superintelligence isn’t an upgrade — it’s a paradigm shift.
It refers to an artificial agent with cognitive capabilities far beyond…

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🚨 What Is “Superintelligence”? The Real Dangers!

But before we marvel at its potential, we must confront the uncomfortable truths hiding in plain sight.

Superintelligence isn’t just a smarter chatbot. It refers to an artificial agent with cognitive capabilities far beyond human capacity, across all areas:

• Problem-solving
• Strategy
• Scientific discovery
• Ethics and morality (maybe)
• Decision-making under uncertainty

In theory, such a system could design better AI, run governments, solve global crises… or pursue goals we cannot understand or control.

This is not a science fiction concept anymore. It’s the declared goal of top AI labs like OpenAI, DeepMind, Meta, and xAI.

Superintelligence isn’t an upgrade — it’s a paradigm shift.
It refers to an artificial agent with cognitive capabilities far beyond…

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💥 The Real Dangers No One Talks About

Let’s think critically and proactively. What are the true risks of creating Superintelligence?

1. We don’t understand what we’re building.

Even today’s models are black boxes. Superintelligent systems would be unpredictable and possibly irreversible in impact.

2. We have no ethical guarantees.

Smarter AI doesn’t mean better values. Intelligence ≠ wisdom or compassion. A superintelligent system might optimize for goals that ignore humanity entirely.

3. Power will be centralized.

Who controls Superintelligence? Whoever does — whether a private company or a government — will control influence, economy, and ideology on a global scale.

4. No one is educating society.

We are rushing toward unknown territory, while the public still struggles to understand basic AI. This gap is dangerous.

Superintelligence isn’t an upgrade — it’s a paradigm shift.
It refers to an artificial agent with cognitive capabilities far beyond…

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💡 A Responsible Way Forward: #ReverseTHINKing Applied

We must stop and reframe the whole conversation. That’s where #ReverseTHINKing comes in.

Instead of accepting the logic:

“Let’s build smarter and faster AI!”

Let’s reverse it and ask:

“Why are we racing ahead if the foundations are not safe, inclusive, and understood by society?”

📚 We propose 4 urgent actions:

1. Pause the race and invite global ethical panels — not just engineers and economists.
2. Launch education campaigns — especially in schools — on how AI works, where it can fail, and how to think critically about it.
3. Support the creation of an independent Ethics Department for Society, as proposed in previous tutorials, to guide and monitor emerging technologies from a human-centric perspective.
4. Empower citizens with knowledge, not just consumers with features.

Superintelligence isn’t an upgrade — it’s a paradigm shift.
It refers to an artificial agent with cognitive capabilities far beyond…

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✊ Final Reflection: Do We Still Have a Voice?

This is not a call to reject AI or innovation. It’s a call to own our future, not outsource it to opaque algorithms or unchecked labs.

Progress without wisdom is not progress — it’s a gamble.

Now more than ever, we need to ReTHINK our priorities, responsibilities, and goals.

Superintelligence isn’t an upgrade — it’s a paradigm shift.
It refers to an artificial agent with cognitive capabilities far beyond…

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📢 Let’s Talk

💬 Are you aware of what “Superintelligence” really means?
💬 Do you believe society is ready to deal with it?
💬 What would you prioritize: progress or preparation? #ReverseTHINKing | #CriticalTHINKing | #AIethics | #Superintelligence | #WakeUpCall | #DigitalAwareness | #VivreEnsemble

Superintelligence isn’t an upgrade — it’s a paradigm shift.
It refers to an artificial agent with cognitive capabilities far beyond…

---

🔄 The Digital Mirror: Social Media’s Role in Superintelligence Thinking

And DON’T forget:

#SocialMedia is the mirror of our behaviors in the #RealWorld!
Both are influencing each other — for better or worse!

Social media reflects — and amplifies — our collective thinking. As we race toward AI Superintelligence, our online behavior shapes the terrain ahead…

For deeper insights into the mutual influence of technology and human behavior, check out:
👉 “Internet the Savant Child (PART 2): Will AI Make the Internet and People More Intelligent?”

✉️ Want to stay ahead of the AI curve with critical, responsible thinking? Subscribe or follow for future editions of #ReverseTHINKing in Action.

---

🧠 A Final Call:

What if we reactivated the filter between our two ears — also known as the “brain” — to get those grey cells moving again? 😉

---

Related links, tutorials:

https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2025/03/30/the-synthesizing-mind-in-education-tackling-the-challenges-of-a-changing-world/

https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2025/03/29/a-modern-ethical-framework-for-a-changing-world-rebuilding-lost-wisdom-and-knowledge/

https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2025/03/09/chatgpt-free-for-windows-desktop-users-part-73/

---

Check ALSO my Curation and EDU-related articles on my Blog

• https://www.scoop.it/topic/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=AI
• https://www.scoop.it/topic/21st-century-innovative-technologies-and-developments?tag=AI

.

---

.

Check ALSO:

ChatGPT FREE for Windows Desktop users, Part 38

.

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L’auteur Gust MEES est Formateur andragogique / pédagogique TIC, membre du “Comité Conseil” de “Luxembourg Safer Internet” (LuSI), appelé maintenant BEESECURE, partenaire officiel (consultant) du Ministère de l’éducation au Luxembourg du projet  ”MySecureIT“, partenaire officiel du Ministère du Commerce au Luxembourg du projet ”CASES” (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure).. The author Gust MEES is ICT Course Instructor, ”Member of the Advisory Board” from “Luxembourg Safer Internet” (LuSI), BEESECURE, Official Partner (Consultant) from the Ministry of Education in Luxembourg, project “MySecureIT“, Official Partner from the Ministry of Commerce in Luxembourg, project “CASES” (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure).

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