Church sermons, clean energy and coding inmates: Finland’s AI future is here

On a quiet winter morning in Helsinki, over 120 curious attendees gathered at St Paul’s Lutheran Church. But this was not your typical Sunday service. The sermon was written by artificial intelligence, the hymns composed by machine, and the visuals featured AI-generated avatars of pastors and historical figures.

Finland had just hosted its first AI-led church service, and while reactions were mixed, one thing was clear: the country is not shying away from innovation.

Smarter energy, powered by AI

Aside from at the pulpit, artificial intelligence is beginning to shape many parts of Finnish society, from energy and education to public services and research. To support this growth across sectors, Finland is making long-term structural investments in its AI ecosystem.

That willingness to experiment is paired with practical solutions aimed at solving real-world challenges.

In the energy sector, Finnish startup Capalo AI is making waves. The company recently raised 4.1 million US dollars in seed funding to supercharge battery storage systems with AI.

“Battery energy storage systems are essential for driving the transition to clean energy and maintaining a resilient electricity grid,” says Henri Taskinen, co-founder and CEO of Capalo AI. “However, the battery hardware alone cannot provide the needed value for the energy system or its owner, you need to intelligently orchestrate all this capacity together to maximise its impact. We’re proud to drive the energy transition forward with our virtual power plant.”

Their AI platform forecasts renewable energy production and consumption using weather data and usage patterns, optimising battery charge and discharge schedules. The result is a more efficient, resilient grid, and a clear example of how AI can accelerate the green transition.

A national AI strategy

One of Finland’s boldest structural investments is the creation of a national ELLIS Institute (European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems), part of a broader European research network.

Backed by 10 million euros annually from the Ministry of Education and Culture between 2025 and 2028, plus a 6 million-euro startup fund, the institute aims to raise Finland’s international profile in AI and encourage academic–industry collaboration.

“Finland has been a forerunner in AI, and the ELLIS Institute will take us to the next level of quality and global attractiveness to experts, which is necessary for scaling up the benefits of AI with companies and society more broadly,” says Samuel Kaski, professor at Aalto University and director of FCAI and ELLIS Unit Helsinki.

Private sector leaders are also contributing. Peter Sarlin, CEO and co-founder of Silo AI, Europe’s largest private AI lab, has made a major donation through his Foundation PS, funding 13 new AI professorships across Finland and supporting the ELLIS initiative.

“Ultimately, the best researchers want to work with the best professors, and if we succeed in attracting the top professors, then it will have a significant multiplier effect,” Sarlin said. Most of Silo AI’s employees are of foreign background, he noted, many with experience at global firms such as Google, Apple and Meta.

“We are creating a world-class environment for AI researchers,” Sarlin said.

Educating the next generation

Building cutting-edge systems is only half the equation, the other half is people who can understand and shape them. Finland is thus investing broadly in AI literacy, not just for researchers but across all levels of education.

One standout effort is the Generation AI project, a six-year initiative led by the University of Eastern Finland, University of Helsinki and University of Oulu. The project is creating tools to teach young people about AI, equipping them for an increasingly automated world.

This strategy builds on earlier public education initiatives, such as the University of Helsinki’s Elements of AI – a free online course designed to teach the basics of artificial intelligence to people of all backgrounds.

Launched in 2018, the course has reached over one million learners worldwide and remains a cornerstone of Finland’s inclusive approach to digital literacy.

A humane use of AI

Finland’s AI embrace extends to some of the most overlooked corners of society. In a novel initiative, inmates are participating in data annotation work, helping to train AI models while learning digital skills that may help them reintegrate after release.

“This data work with computers is future-oriented, forward-looking,” said Tuukka Lehtiniemi, a researcher at the University of Helsinki who is monitoring the project. “There’s lots of computers, and digital devices [outside of the prison], and this needs to be reflected then in the prison as well. So what the data work can do in the prison, it sort of puts the prisoner in front of a computer, it introduces the computer into the prison.”

Even in Finland’s most experimental applications of AI, there is a steady awareness of its limitations. Back at St Paul’s Lutheran Church, where the AI-led service drew headlines, the mood was reflective.

“Meeting with people is a key job of the clergy. It involves humanity and empathy, both of which AI lacks,” said Petja Kopperoinen, a minister at St Paul’s parish. “That’s why a machine can never replace a human being.”

Still, he welcomed the moment as a catalyst for discussion. “I think this is a conversation starter. It seems inevitably that artificial intelligence will come into the working life of each individual.”