Is your school already breaking the law? EU AI Act, Deepfakes & AI Literacy w/ Matthew Wemyss (#353)

In this episode of the Edufuturists podcast, Ben gets to sit down with AI pioneer and award-winning school leader Matthew Wemyss to unpack what AI literacy actually looks like when you stop treating it as a bolt-on subject and start building it into lessons teachers are already planning. Guest intro Matthew Wemyss is Assistant School Director at the Cambridge School of Bucharest, a former Edufuturists AI Pioneer award winner, and founder of the AIDucation conference. He's the author of AI guides for teachers, students and (soon) parents, and creator of the AI Lit Kit - a tool that maps AI literacy activities directly onto existing lesson plans and curriculum standards. We cover: - Life inside a British international school in Bucharest and what makes international school culture different - Growing the AI Education conference from three workshops to hundreds of attendees, and what's next for 2027 - Writing AI guides for teachers, students and now parents and why the tools change but the principles don't Inside the AI Lit Kit: turning existing lesson plans into AI literacy opportunities without adding a new initiative Navigating the EU AI Act, evolving deepfake definitions, and what schools are legally responsible for Why "just try it and see what breaks" beats waiting for permission Quick-fire questions on student voice, the myths educators tell themselves, and why kids go to school Why listen If you're a school leader, teacher or parent trying to work out how AI literacy, compliance and everyday classroom practice actually fit together — without piling another initiative onto an already packed calendar — this conversation gives you a practical, grounded way to think about it, from someone living the compliance side and the classroom side at once. Chapters 00:00 Highlights 01:53 Welcome and Edufuturists updates 03:59 Matthew's route into teaching 09:03 Life in a British international school in Bucharest 20:29 Building the AI Education conference 25:53 Writing AI guides for teachers, students and parents 30:36 Inside the AI Lit Kit 38:30 Is AI illiteracy the real problem? 42:39 EU AI Act, deepfakes and AI governance in schools 49:34 Quick-fire questions 53:12 Wrap-up and what's next Grab a copy of Matthew's new AI book (which he wrote with Ben!): https://www.amazon.co.uk/AI-Education-Parents-Handbook-ebook/dp/B0H4ZNSBPV/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=re3f1&content-id=amzn1.sym.5e81eabe-938d-4936-a067-ca199f0f9913&pf_rd_p=5e81eabe-938d-4936-a067-ca199f0f9913&pf_rd_r=520-9865677-7930756&pd_rd_wg=Qck7O&pd_rd_r=558f107b-e534-4620-a9c7-a3a38730a570 Check out all about Edufuturists at https://www.edufuturists.com Want to sponsor future episodes or get involved with the Edufuturists work? Get in touch: info@edufuturists.com Grab your copy of the new Pick 'n' Mix Education book at: https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/picknmix-education Join the Wolfpack - our annual membership at edufuturists.com/wolfpack