AI in Helsinki: Big Tech, Bold Ideas, and a Reminder of Our Nordic Edge

AI in Helsinki: Big Tech, Bold Ideas, and a Reminder of Our Nordic Edge

Earlier this month, we joined the buzz at the Microsoft AI Tour in Helsinki together with my colleague and co-founder Henri PeltomÀki.

Finlandia Hall was packed—think developers, strategists, tech geeks, and curious minds. Microsoft pulled out all the stops: keynote talks, hands-on sessions, and even an AI partner showcase area that felt more like a startup fair than a suit-and-tie expo.

Here’s the thing though: while the energy was high and the demos looked slick, most of what we saw was still in experimental territory.

1. Copilot Everywhere
 But Mostly as a Chatbot

A lot of companies are trying out Microsoft Copilot—rolling it out to their workforces, testing it in documents, emails, code. It’s exciting, but also very surface-level. Many of the “use cases” presented were essentially Copilot being used as a smarter chatbot. Cool? Sure. Transformative? Not quite yet.

The big gap? Business-critical implementations. We didn’t see many examples of AI deeply embedded into core workflows, decision systems, or new value-creating processes. The promise is there—but delivery is still early days.

2. The Nordics Are Still Behind

A recent BCG study confirms the vibe: while Nordic companies are digitally mature, we’re still lagging in actual GenAI adoption compared to the U.S., UK, and parts of Asia. We’re cautious, risk-aware, consensus-driven—great traits for long-term resilience, but they’re slowing us down when speed matters.

If we want to lead responsibly, we first have to show up with working, scaled use cases—not just prototypes and pilot fatigue.

3. Nordic Values Could (Still) Lead

Finland showed up strong at the event. And culturally, we have what it takes to build AI right—ethics, trust, transparency, fairness. But unless we start implementing this tech meaningfully across our businesses, we’ll stay in the audience instead of on the stage.

It’s time to stop admiring the tools and start building with them.

Quick Hits from the Event

  • đŸŽ€ Keynotes: Inspiring talks from Microsoft and Finnish companies, mostly focused on AI in employee productivity.
  • 🧭 Tracks: Business acceleration, building with AI, and diving deeper into Copilots.
  • đŸ€ Partner Experience Area: Lots of clever demos. Most were early-stage experiments.
  • ☕ Networking: Refreshingly honest. Lots of “we’re still figuring it out too” conversations.

At Elexive, we’re not interested in shiny objects—we care about useful transformation. GenAI is powerful, but it’s only valuable if it actually makes your business better.

So here’s the real question:

Are you just rolling out Copilot—or are you redesigning how your business works?

If you’re wrestling with that, we should talk. No hype. Just real momentum.