Apertus for NGOs: A Workshop on Running and Deploying Switzerland's Open-source LLM

This workshop is for staff and researchers working in NGOs and non-profits who aim to bring AI into their workflows with an ethical, careful approach. Join us for a hands-on morning of using and deploying the flagship model of the Swiss AI Initiative, learn first hand from the engineers and scientists working on Apertus. The workshop runs from 9:30 to 12:30 at the EPFL AI Center Lounge in Lausanne. Doors open at 9:00. Background: Apertus is a fully open large language model built in Switzerland, which is fully reproducible and can run on your own infrastructure. As a Foundation Model, it has already been adapted to specific contexts through post-training and fine-tuning processes. In addition to open access at all Swiss academic institutions, a growing number of Swiss and international commercial providers support Apertus for production deployment. This workshop is also designed as a two-way conversation: alongside learning how to use and deploy Apertus, we want to hear how your organization is already working with AI, and where today's tools still fall short for you. We would like to hear about the languages, legal contexts, and use cases you operate in. This input will give us the opportunity to prioritize improvements for non-profit organizations on the Apertus roadmap. At this workshop, you will have the chance to: See how Apertus, a fully open, Swiss-built LLM, can be deployed on your own infrastructure Get hands-on experience using the technology itself, not just a description of it Tell the team building Apertus where it's falling short for your work, and help shape where it goes next The morning will include: An introduction to Apertus: what it is, how it works, and why self-hosting is possible A live walkthrough of deploying Apertus on your own infrastructure Hands-on exercises applying Apertus to tasks relevant to your organization Exact schedule will be sent to participants closer to the event.