On January 12th, 2026, Budakov Films is pleased to share its active participation in a high-level policy and academic networking meeting in Potsdam, where the Erasmus+ co-funded project DeepTech for Creative Trust: Countering Deepfakes and Enabling Ethical AI in the Audio-Visual Industry was presented and discussed with key German policymakers and academic leaders.

The meeting was hosted by XU Exponential University of Applied Sciences and organised by Valentina Meuren, creating a valuable space for dialogue between higher education, creative industries, and public institutions.

High-Level Policy Engagement in Brandenburg

The Ministry of Economic Affairs of Brandenburg was represented by senior officials, including Dr. Haase, Katrin Kubath, and Michael Reschke.

The programme included a networking tour across leading academic institutions in the region — University of Potsdam, German University of Digital Sciences UDS, and XU Exponential University of Applied Sciences — providing an ideal setting to discuss trustworthy AI, digital regulation, and future skills.

Presenting DeepTech for Creative Trust

Petyo Budakov, Managing Director of Budakov Films, presented the DeepTech for Creative Trustproject, with the support of Filipe de Castro Soeiro, President of XU University.

The presentation highlighted the project’s core mission and its relevance for both policy and practice:

  • Addressing the growing risks of deepfakes and AI-generated content in the audio-visual and creative sectors
  • Promoting ethical, human-centred AI aligned with European values
  • Supporting VET providers, creative professionals, and SMEs with practical tools and competence-based training
  • Contributing to policy-relevant discussions on AI trust, media integrity, and digital resilience

Why This Matters for the Creative Sector

For Budakov Films, participation in this dialogue underlines the importance of connecting real-world creative practicewith European education and innovation policy. DeepTech for Creative Trust translates policy goals into concrete outcomes: structured training modules, deepfake detection tools, explanatory videos, and draft curricula that can be directly integrated into VET and higher education.

The exchange in Potsdam clearly demonstrated how Erasmus+ projects like DeepTech for Creative Trust act as bridges between European policy objectives and practical implementation, delivering immediate local impact in regions such as Brandenburg while maintaining strong international relevance and scalability.

Looking Ahead

Events like this reaffirm the value of engaging policymakers early and continuously, ensuring that innovation in AI and media remains ethical, transparent, and trustworthy. Budakov Films remains committed to contributing its applied expertise to this process and to supporting a safer digital future for the creative industries.

We thank all partners and participants for the open exchange and shared commitment to responsible AI and creative trust in Europe.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Anefore asbl. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Pr. Nr: 2025-2-LU01-KA210-VET-000371932