Deepfake - Synthetic Media, Truth & Trust in the Age of AI

We are entering a moment where seeing is no longer believing.
Deepfakes and synthetic media are rapidly reshaping how information is created, shared, and trusted, with implications that extend far beyond technology. From politics and journalism to business integrity and everyday communication, the boundaries between real and artificial are dissolving faster than society can adapt.
This evening brings together leading voices from humanitarian work, AI ethics, and applied AI systems to explore one of the most urgent questions of our time:
How do we build trust in a world where reality can be generated?
Rather than focusing only on technical capabilities, the discussion opens up the broader ecosystem around synthetic media, including governance, ethical frameworks, real-world deployment challenges, and the societal systems needed to respond responsibly.
The goal is not only to understand what is possible, but to examine what should be done.

Speakers
Philippe Stoll
Manager, Red Cross Red Crescent Hub on Harmful Information (Swiss Red Cross)
Philippe works at the intersection of humanitarian action, technology, and information integrity. After more than two decades with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), including senior roles in Techplomacy, communications, and field missions across conflict zones, he now focuses on helping humanitarian organizations navigate disinformation, hate speech, and AI-driven information threats. He is also the co-author of the ICRC AI Policy and co-creator of immersive experiences such as Digital Dilemmas and Deepfake and You at the United Nations.

Alexandra Wudel
AI Ethics Researcher & Founder, FemAI
Alexandra focuses on building fair, transparent, and accountable AI systems. Through FemAI, she works with organizations to evaluate and improve AI systems against bias and fairness criteria, while making the risks of AI more understandable and actionable for decision-makers and users. Her work sits at the intersection of ethics, governance, and applied AI impact in real-world systems.

Alessandro Polidoro
Legal Officer, European Commission
Alessandro Polidoro is a technology lawyer and policy expert specializing in digital rights, platform accountability, privacy, and cybercrime. Throughout his career, he has worked closely with civil society organizations, researchers, and public institutions across Europe to shape policies that promote transparency, decentralization, and the protection of fundamental rights in the digital age.
His work spans some of the most pressing challenges created by online platforms and emerging technologies, including privacy violations, algorithmic accountability, online harms, and AI governance. Alessandro has contributed to advocacy efforts surrounding the Digital Services Act, strategic litigation under the GDPR, and initiatives focused on protecting individuals from image-based abuse and other forms of digital violence. His perspective brings a critical policy and legal lens to the evolving challenges posed by synthetic media and AI-generated content.

Dr. Thomas Wollmann
Managing Director & CTO, Merantix Momentum
Thomas Wollmann is an expert in machine learning, AI infrastructure, and the deployment of intelligent systems at scale. As Managing Director and CTO of Merantix Momentum, he has played a key role in building the company’s technical foundations and helping organizations transform cutting-edge AI research into practical business applications.
With more than twenty years of experience spanning AI research, software engineering, and infrastructure development, Thomas combines deep technical expertise with a strong understanding of real-world implementation challenges. He is also a published researcher, lecturer, and entrepreneur, regularly bridging the gap between emerging AI capabilities and their responsible application in industry. His perspective focuses on how organizations can deploy powerful AI systems while maintaining trust, transparency, and operational reliability.

Hasna Najmi
Value Engineering Team Lead
Hasna is an experienced Value Engineer and project lead specializing in translating complex business problems into scalable machine learning and data-driven solutions. With a strong background in engineering, research, and applied AI systems, she bridges the gap between technical capability and business impact. She is passionate about building practical AI applications while advocating for responsible and efficient technology use.

Expect an open, interdisciplinary conversation across research, policy, humanitarian experience, and applied AI practice, followed by informal networking with food and drinks.
📍 Location: Merantix AI Campus, Berlin
🗓 Date: Monday, June 29
🕕 Time: 18:00 – 20:00 (GMT+2)
In a world of increasingly realistic AI-generated content, this is a space to step back and ask:
what does truth mean next?