This week, we’re spotlighting Mikko Muurinen, Head of AI, Optimization & Decision Intelligence at Helen – one of Finland’s largest energy companies, serving customers with electricity, district heating, and cooling. Bringing together training in statistics, mathematics, and IT, Mikko leads the energy provider’s efforts to embed data-driven tools directly into daily operational processes.
Beyond aligning cross-functional teams and setting priorities, he focuses on establishing decision intelligence frameworks and guiding the transition from simple chat interfaces to proactive agentic systems that operate with clear context and human oversight.
Hyperight.com: What’s the best way to describe your job to someone outside tech?
Mikko Muurinen: I help an energy company use AI and data more effectively to make better decisions. AI can do a lot of the heavy lifting, but someone still needs to decide what matters, what to trust and what action to take. My job is to connect those capabilities with real business needs.
Hyperight.com: What originally sparked your interest in AI/data, and what keeps you inspired today?
Mikko Muurinen: I’ve been interested in statistics and technology all my life, which led me to study statistics, math, and IT. The field’s constant evolution still inspires me: there’s something new to learn every day. What makes AI particularly interesting now is how quickly you can move from an idea to something you can try out.
Hyperight.com: What is one challenge you’re trying to solve, and why does it matter?
Mikko Muurinen: One challenge is moving from conversational AI that answers questions to agentic AI that improves decisions and acts proactively across the organization. To do this well, agentic AI needs the right context, reliable information, and clear boundaries for when to act and when to involve a person. It matters because the goal is not just faster answers, but better outcomes.
Hyperight.com: A tool you can’t live without – tech or not?
Mikko Muurinen: Rather than one tool, I use a variety of AI solutions to explore ideas, challenge assumptions, and turn rough thoughts into concrete solutions. Their value isn’t that they always know the answer, but that they help me think through the question. I find them most useful as sparring partners. 
Hyperight.com: What trend in data or AI do you think will shape the Nordic region the most?
Mikko Muurinen: I think the biggest shift will be AI becoming part of everyday workflows, rather than a separate chat window. AI will increasingly act as a colleague, not just a tool, reshaping roles and how organizations work. Further ahead, AI-powered robotics will connect the physical and digital worlds more closely. I see particular potential in this in the energy industry.
Hyperight.com: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to others entering the data and AI field?
Mikko Muurinen: Stay curious and build things, but don’t outsource your judgement to the tools. Take an interest in business, technology, and people, not just the latest AI developments. Learn to ask what problem you’re solving and whose work will improve if you get it right. Understanding the people using a solution is just as important as understanding the technology.
