AI at Work
Teemu Vidgren — COO of Microsoft Finland
Since 1997's Internet emergence, digital adoption faced skill gaps and resistance, but AI use has rapidly grown, with 57% of Finnish workers and 75% globally adopting it, often bringing consumer AI into workplaces, raising data risks. Finnish leaders recognize AI as vital for competitiveness, favoring AI skills over experience. AI enhances roles from leadership time management to developers’ coding and service agents’ problem-solving. Finnish firms like OP, Attendo, Kela, Eduhouse leverage AI for tasks from sales ads to healthcare documentation, while Microsoft supports AI startups with scalable platforms and free training resources.
"Every one of us at work will have some kind of an AI companion that connects to our organization's data and helps us out at work—bringing AI to be part of existing systems, transforming how we work and creating real value."
Summary
- In 1997, digital skills and technology attitudes were low; AI use today shows similar excitement but also challenges. - 57% of Finnish workers use AI at work, below the 75% global average, often using consumer AI tools with data risks. - 74% of Finnish leaders see AI as essential for business success, valuing AI skills over experience when hiring. - AI boosts productivity by assisting with meetings, coding, customer service, and industry-specific tasks like banking and healthcare. - AI adoption is fast: AI projects typically last under 12 months with a 14-month ROI; skills remain the biggest barrier despite free training.
Article
Finland lags behind global AI adoption despite business recognition, says Microsoft executive
Microsoft COO highlights gap between national aspirations and implementation in workplace AI adoption
At the opening day of Arctic 15, one of the Nordic's premier startup events, Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Teemu Vidgreen painted a complex picture of artificial intelligence adoption in Finnish workplaces – revealing that despite leadership enthusiasm, Finnish companies are falling behind global competitors in practical implementation.
Speaking to a packed audience in Helsinki on Tuesday, Vidgreen drew parallels between today's AI revolution and the early days of the internet, noting that while attitudes toward technology have dramatically shifted since 1997, Finland faces new challenges in the AI era.
"Fifty-seven percent of Finnish respondents say that they are already using AI at work," Vidgreen revealed, citing Microsoft's recent Work Trend Index research. "The worrying thing is that if we look at the global number, globally seventy-five percent say that they use AI at work. So already now, in Finland, we are actually trailing in the use of AI at the workplace."
The shadow AI phenomenon: consumer tools entering workplace environments
Vidgreen highlighted a concerning trend where employees are bringing consumer AI tools into professional settings without formal training or organisational safeguards.
"Most of the people who use AI at work actually bring their AI to work," he explained. "They find a somehow suitable tool as a consumer, they bring it to workplace and start using it. Of course, this opens up certain risks around data privacy, security, and stuff like that."
This grassroots adoption comes as Finnish business leaders increasingly recognise AI's strategic importance. According to the Work Trend Index, 74% of Finnish leaders believe AI is imperative for their long-term business success – though this still trails the global average of 79%.
Finnish pioneers: from banking to healthcare
Despite the overall adoption gap, several Finnish organisations are demonstrating innovative AI implementations. Vidgreen showcased examples including OP Bank, which uses AI to create high-quality real estate listings, ensuring consistent quality regardless of property value.
Healthcare provider Attendo has implemented an AI solution that allows caregivers to create patient documentation through conversation during visits, improving record quality while accommodating staff who may not be comfortable with traditional computer interfaces.
"When the person goes to meet the patient, he or she talks to AI and AI does that journal entry during the meeting," Vidgreen explained. "Quality goes up, the comprehensiveness of these journal entries goes up."
Other examples included Kela, Finland's social insurance institution, using AI to process and digitise 17 million benefit applications annually, and public broadcaster Yle leveraging AI translation to provide Ukrainian-language news that would otherwise be resource-prohibitive.
The business case: rapid returns on AI investment
The business rationale for AI adoption appears compelling. Citing research by IDC examining 2,000 organisations that invested in AI, Vidgreen noted that nine out of ten AI projects lasted less than twelve months, with companies recouping their investments in an average of fourteen months.
"If you go back to Internet times, in twelve months you could barely design something you wanted to do. Now, it's already done," he observed.
Skills remain the critical barrier
Despite the availability of AI tools and clear business benefits, skills shortages remain the primary obstacle to wider adoption. Microsoft is attempting to address this through initiatives like Skills for Jobs Finland, offering free online courses ranging from practical AI use to development, and the Microsoft Founders Hub program providing startups with access to enterprise-grade AI tools.
"The biggest thing slowing them down are AI skills," Vidgreen acknowledged, even as he noted how leadership priorities are shifting. "The majority of leaders would value AI skills over experience. So if there were two candidates—one with less experience but more AI skills, and vice versa—they would prefer the AI skills."
As the Arctic 15 event continues through Thursday, discussions around Finland's AI readiness and potential strategies to accelerate adoption are likely to remain central to conversations among the Nordic startup community and established businesses alike.
Part of Arctic 15