Can AI create something genuinely new, or does creativity always require a human touch? And what happens to creative work as AI becomes an increasingly capable partner? The LuovAIn! Roadshow explores this through comedy, discussion and experiments.
The LuovAIn! Roadshow invites audiences to explore collaboration between humans and AI through comedy, an expert panel discussion and a collaborative art workshop in Oulu on 18 November.
Artificial intelligence is already part of everyday life for many creative professionals. It is used for writing, illustration, composing music and developing new ideas. At the same time, its use raises questions about creativity, authorship, professional expertise and responsibility. The LuovAIn! Roadshow, part of the European Capital of Culture programme, approaches these questions through practical experiences, research and humour.
A comedian brings AI to the stage
The event’s host, serial entrepreneur and stand-up comedian Joona Kotilainen, will open the programme with a 45-minute AI comedy performance. He has developed a performance format in which he improvises comedy together with AI bots.
The dialogue unfolding on stage is not entirely scripted, and the audience can also influence how the performance develops. Every show is different.
“The performance offers an opportunity to see what happens when humans and AI try to be funny together. What makes it interesting for the audience is seeing which one comes up with the best ideas,” Kotilainen says.
Following the performance, Kotilainen will moderate a panel discussion entitled Humans and AI – Creative Together or Separately?
AI challenges established practices in creative work and communication
The panel brings together four perspectives on artificial intelligence: public sector communication, technology development, creative entrepreneurship and research.
Harriet Urponen, Communications Director at the City of Oulu, will share experiences of using AI in public sector communication. In Oulu, the use of AI-generated images has sparked considerable debate, particularly in connection with the European Capital of Culture year.
According to Urponen, banning the use of AI is not a realistic solution in a large organisation. Instead, responsible practices, guidelines and skills are needed.
“In a way, using AI is becoming both a civic skill and a workplace skill. We all need to learn how to use it”, Urponen says.
Mika Rautiainen, CEO of Valossa Labs Oy, examines AI from the perspective of a technology developer. The Oulu-based company develops AI solutions that analyse and understand video content for audiovisual applications, including television advertising.
Rautiainen sees AI as an enabler of creative work but also recognises the risk that easy-to-use technology may encourage superficial thinking. He believes it is important to consider what creativity actually means.
“It is extremely difficult to say whether we humans produce anything other than a synthesis of things we have seen”, Rautiainen reflects.
AI is also changing the role of creative professionals. Alongside producing content, directing, evaluating and selecting are becoming increasingly important.
Eemeli Alanne, entrepreneur and founder of Taikasatukulma, has first-hand experience of the possibilities AI offers in creative work. According to Alanne, Taikasatukulma’s stories are listened to approximately 200,000 times a month on YouTube and Spotify.
The company uses AI in content production but does not want to automate everything. For example, human expression, rhythm and intonation still play a particularly important role in reading stories aloud.
Alanne also reflects on the long-term impact of AI on creativity.
“If we fast-forward, say, ten years, will AI tools be as commonplace as Google has been for a long time? We will then face an entirely new discussion if most creative content is produced by machines. What role will human creativity play at that point?” Alanne asks.
Does creative work have intrinsic value?
Markus Sjöberg, a researcher at Tampere University, brings a research perspective to the discussion. He emphasises that creative work can have both intrinsic and instrumental value.
If the aim is to achieve a result as efficiently as possible, AI can be a useful partner. However, the situation is different when the act of creating, experimenting and experiencing the creative process is itself the most meaningful aspect of the work.
Sjöberg also wants to encourage discussion about how AI is changing our perceptions of quality, creativity and good taste. When content can be produced quickly and in almost unlimited quantities, the question of what makes creative work valuable becomes increasingly important.
A collaborative art workshop offers hands-on experiences with AI
Media artist Ville-Sakari Kotka from Käpynä Oy and researcher Markus Sjöberg have developed an AI Collaborative Art Workshop for the Roadshow. The workshop invites participants to explore creativity through personal experience. AI becomes part of a collaborative artistic process in which participants draw and create music using a barrel organ.
Read more about the speakers’ thoughts here.
LuovAIn! Roadshow in Oulu, 18 November 2026
Time: 12:00–16:00 Venue: Tarkastamo, Saaristonkatu 1 C, Oulu
Tarkastamo Hall
- 12:30–13:15 Stand-up Comedy with AI – Joona Kotilainen
- 13:15–14:00 Panel Discussion: Humans and AI – Creative Together or Separately? Panelists: Harriet Urponen, Communications Director at the City of Oulu; Mika Rautiainen, CEO of Valossa Labs Oy; Eemeli Alanne, entrepreneur at Taikasatukulma; and Markus Sjöberg, researcher at Tampere University. Moderated by Joona Kotilainen.
Tarkastamo Club
- 12:00–16:00 AI Collaborative Art Workshop – Ville-Sakari Kotka / Studio Käpynä OY and Markus Sjöberg / University of Tampere
Further information and registration Oulu2026 event page
Contact: Eeva Leinonen, Project Manager, LuovAIn! project: eeva.leinonen@oulu.fi
The AI in the Creative and Cultural Sector Ecosystem – LuovAIn! project is co-funded by the European Union. The project (2024–2026) is funded through the national ESF+ funding for innovation expertise in the creative and cultural sectors, as part of the Innovation and Skills in Finland 2021–2027 programme. The project is implemented by the University of Turku, the University of Oulu, Tampere University and LAB University of Applied Sciences. The event is part of the Lumo Art & Tech Festival and the University of Oulu’s programme for the European Capital of Culture year 2026.
