{"id":44,"user_id":1,"title":"AI & Agent Lab: How AI can be used to streamline and enhance customer service processes","slug":"ai-and-agent-lab-how-ai-can-be-used-to-streamline-and-enhance-customer-service-processes","excerpt":"The AI & Agent Lab event brought together experts from the core of education, technology, and AI development. The event featured presentations from Aalto University, Microsoft, and Modirum Platforms, and the discussion focused on how AI is being used in customer service\u2014using a top university\u2019s AI solutions as a practical example\u2014and on AI\u2019s rapidly evolving role.","content":"<div style=\"display:flex; align-items:flex-start; gap:4rem; flex-wrap:wrap; margin-bottom:3rem;\">\n\n <!-- VIDEO LEFT -->\n <div class=\"image-col overflow-hidden rounded-base reveal-img-wrapper\">\n <video \n class=\"w-full rounded-base reveal-img\"\n style=\"max-width:700px; width:100%; border-radius:12px;\"\n autoplay\n muted\n loop\n playsinline\n preload=\"metadata\"\n >\n <source src=\"\/storage\/app\/media\/news\/ai-and-agent-lab-the-education-sector-at-the-forefront-of-aI\/news-slider-720p.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\">\n <\/video>\n <\/div>\n\n <!-- TEXT RIGHT -->\n <div style=\"flex:1 1 45%;\">\n <h3>\n The <strong>AI & Agent Lab<\/strong> event brought together experts from the core of education, technology, and AI development. The event featured presentations from <strong>Aalto University, Microsoft<\/strong>, and <strong>Modirum Platforms<\/strong>, and the discussion focused on how AI is being used in customer service\u2014using a top university\u2019s AI solutions as a practical example\u2014and on AI\u2019s rapidly evolving role. \n <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n### **The education sector at the forefront of AI **\n\nThe education sector has risen to the top among all industries in AI adoption. Presentations noted that a large share of educational institutions already use generative AI, and in students\u2019 everyday lives AI has become a natural part of learning. Education is an industry where AI\u2019s impact is both the greatest and where the need has been identified most clearly.\n\nAt the same time, a key challenge emerged: a <strong>skills gap<\/strong>. Even though AI use is becoming more common quickly, teachers, students, and organizations feel their understanding and practical skills are not developing at the same pace. This highlights the need for systematic, long-term AI development instead of isolated experiments.\n<br><br>\n\n### **The next step of AI: autonomous agents**\n\nThe event also looked ahead to the next development phase: **autonomous AI agents**. While Copilot-type solutions support \nindividual tasks\u2014such as writing, analysis, or information retrieval\u2014agent-based AI can handle entire processes independently. This fundamentally changes how organizations operate and serve their customers.\n\n<div class=\"mb-1\">\n <figure class=\"blog-quote my-[2rem] pl-0 lg:pl-[2rem]\">\n <p class=\"italic\">\n <em>\u201cEvery employee will have a copilot. Every business process will have an agent.\u201d<\/em>\n <\/p>\n <h5 class=\"italic font-bold\"><em>Satya Nadella, CEO Microsoft <\/em><\/h5>\n <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<br>\n### **The university of the future & AI**\n\nThe discussion also raised a vision of the future university. According to Gartner research, by 2028 over 70% of learning materials will be produced with the help of generative AI. This is not only about efficiency, but entirely new ways to personalize learning and free up teachers\u2019 time for what matters most. This development is already underway. \n<br><br>\n### **Aalto University systematic charge for AI adoption**\nAalto University serves as a concrete example of goal-oriented AI adoption. The presentation described some of the key steps in Aalto\u2019s AI journey: why it has invested in AI, some of the learnings, and some of the ways that AI supports daily work in for both academic and services staff. Aalto\u2019s approach emphasizes strategic consistency, a culture of experimentation, and development driven by practical needs. \n\nOne of the key milestones was the **Chat with aalto.fi** AI solution, in whose development and implementation **Modirum Platforms and Microsoft** have participated. The goal being to help internal users find answers quickly without needing to search and browse multiple pages. Due to the success of the project, two new chatbots designed for different target groups: **Student guide**, which serves Aalto students with study-related questions, and Studies bot, which helps prospective students for example with matters related to applying, will be launched in the coming months. Both bots use the same broad source content from Aalto\u2019s website (30,000+ pages), but they are built to meet the needs of different user groups\u2014also taking into account user-specific content restrictions and multilingualism (Finnish, Swedish, English). \n\nThe technological renewal of the solution has enabled a transparent, continuously evolving architecture in which information retrieval, orchestration logic, and response generation can be managed and optimized. This way, AI does not remain a \u201cblack box,\u201d but instead develops iteratively toward an increasingly reliable and targeted user experience. \n<br><br>\n### **The anatomy of a successful AI project**\n\nA traditional IT project is based on predefined requirements and rules, whereas in an AI project the outcome is inherently probabilistic and can only really be understood through experimentation. That\u2019s why success depends on validating business viability and data suitability early, and on iterative work where quality improves from one cycle to the next. For an AI solution, you must define what \u201cgood enough\u201d looks like and measure it systematically, because perfection is rarely achievable in practice. Ultimately, an AI project doesn\u2019t \u201cfinish\u201d as a one-off delivery\u2014it requires ongoing monitoring, feedback, and continuous improvement in production. \n<br><br>\n\n<div>\n <div>\n <div class=\"text-image-row flex flex-col lg:flex-row lg:items-center gap-10 lg:gap-20\">\n <!-- TEXT RIGHT -->\n <div class=\"content-col lg:w-[40%] text-left\">\n\n <h3 class=\"mb-5 lg:mb-8 text-primary-darker\">\n <strong>What we learned<\/strong>\n <\/h3>\n\n <h5 class=\"text-primary\" style=\"margin-top: 1.5rem;\">\n The key takeaways from the event crystallized into a few main points:\n <\/h5>\n\n <!-- LIST 1 -->\n<ul style=\"margin-top:1rem; padding-left:0; list-style:none;\">\n <li class=\"text-lighter\" \n style=\"color:var(--text-lighter) !important; position:relative; padding-left:1rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; list-style:none; overflow:hidden;\">\n <span style=\"position:absolute; left:0; top:0; color:inherit;\">\u2022<\/span>\n When the foundation is in place, development progresses quickly\u2014deployment, change management, and compliance do not.\n <\/li>\n\n <li class=\"text-lighter\" \n style=\"color:var(--text-lighter) !important; position:relative; padding-left:1rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; list-style:none; overflow:hidden;\">\n <span style=\"position:absolute; left:0; top:0; color:inherit;\">\u2022<\/span>\n AI solutions are only as good as the underlying content and data.\n <\/li>\n\n <li class=\"text-lighter\" \n style=\"color:var(--text-lighter) !important; position:relative; padding-left:1rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; list-style:none; overflow:hidden;\">\n <span style=\"position:absolute; left:0; top:0; color:inherit;\">\u2022<\/span>\n Once in use, a clear framework is needed for decision-making and prioritization.\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n <!-- IN ADDITION -->\n <h5 class=\"text-primary\" style=\"margin-top: 2rem;\">\n In addition\n <\/h5>\n\n <!-- LIST 2 -->\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0.75rem; padding-left:0; list-style:none;\">\n <li class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"position:relative; padding-left:1.2rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; list-style:none; color:var(--text-lighter) !important;\">\n <span style=\"position:absolute; left:-2px; top:0; color:inherit;\">\u2022<\/span>\n AI projects must be based on a clear objective and a real need\n <\/li>\n\n <li class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"position:relative; padding-left:1.2rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; list-style:none; color:var(--text-lighter) !important;\">\n <span style=\"position:absolute; left:-2px; top:0; color:inherit;\">\u2022<\/span>\n Developing skills is just as important as the technology\n <\/li>\n\n <li class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"position:relative; padding-left:1.2rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; list-style:none; color:var(--text-lighter) !important;\">\n <span style=\"position:absolute; left:-2px; top:0; color:inherit;\">\u2022<\/span>\n Agent-based AI opens a new phase in automation and operational scalability\n <\/li>\n\n <li class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"position:relative; padding-left:1.2rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; list-style:none; color:var(--text-lighter) !important;\">\n <span style=\"position:absolute; left:-2px; top:0; color:inherit;\">\u2022<\/span>\n Success requires collaboration, experimentation, and continuous learning\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n <!-- STATEMENT -->\n <h5 class=\"text-primary\" style=\"margin-top: 1.5rem;\">\n AI is no longer the future\u2014it\u2019s today!\n <\/h5>\n\n <!-- SOURCES -->\n <p style=\"font-size:12px; opacity:0.7; margin-top:1rem; line-height:1.5;\">\n <em>\n Sources:<br>\n 1, 2, 3, 4: Microsoft presentation at AI & Agent Lab \n 5: Robert Salv\u00e9n, Aalto University, Presentation at AI & Agent Lab\n <\/em>\n <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <!-- IMAGE LEFT -->\n <div class=\"image-col lg:w-[60%] lg:h-[70vh] overflow-hidden rounded-base reveal-img-wrapper\">\n <div class=\"reveal-img-overlay\"><\/div>\n\n <video \n class=\"reveal-img rounded-[var(--btn-border-radius)] w-full h-full object-cover\"\n autoplay\n muted\n loop\n playsinline\n preload=\"metadata\"\n >\n <source src=\"\/storage\/app\/media\/news\/ai-and-agent-lab-the-education-sector-at-the-forefront-of-aI\/news-slider-720p.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\">\n <\/video>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<br><br>\n\n<div style=\"display:flex; align-items:center; gap:4rem; flex-wrap:nowrap; margin-bottom:3rem;\">\n\n <!-- IMAGE LEFT -->\n <div class=\"image-col lg:w-[60%] lg:h-[70vh] overflow-hidden rounded-base reveal-img-wrapper\" style=\"width:60%;\">\n <div class=\"reveal-img-overlay\"><\/div>\n\n <img \n src=\"\/storage\/app\/media\/news\/ai-and-agent-lab-the-education-sector-at-the-forefront-of-aI\/aalto.jpg\"\n alt=\"Aalto University\"\n class=\"reveal-img w-full h-full object-cover rounded-[var(--btn-border-radius)]\"\n >\n <\/div>\n\n <!-- TEXT RIGHT -->\n <div style=\"width:40%; display:flex; flex-direction:column; justify-content:center;\">\n <h3>\n <strong>Aalto University<\/strong>\n <\/h3>\n\n <div style=\"margin-top:1rem;\">\n <div class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"display:flex; gap:0.5rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; color:var(--text-lighter);\">\n <span>\u2022<\/span>\n <span>One of Europe\u2019s leading multidisciplinary universities (engineering, architecture, business, art & design)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"display:flex; gap:0.5rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; color:var(--text-lighter);\">\n <span>\u2022<\/span>\n <span>13,900 degree students, over 100,000 alumni<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"display:flex; gap:0.5rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; color:var(--text-lighter);\">\n <span>\u2022<\/span>\n <span>Strong international research and innovation profile<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"display:flex; gap:0.5rem; color:var(--text-lighter);\">\n <span>\u2022<\/span>\n <span>Close collaboration with companies and technology ecosystems<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n<\/div>","content_html":"<div style=\"display:flex; align-items:flex-start; gap:4rem; flex-wrap:wrap; margin-bottom:3rem;\">\n\n <!-- VIDEO LEFT -->\n <div class=\"image-col overflow-hidden rounded-base reveal-img-wrapper\">\n <video class=\"w-full rounded-base reveal-img\" style=\"max-width:700px; width:100%; border-radius:12px;\" autoplay muted loop playsinline preload=\"metadata\">\n <source src=\"\/storage\/app\/media\/news\/ai-and-agent-lab-the-education-sector-at-the-forefront-of-aI\/news-slider-720p.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\">\n <\/source><\/video>\n <\/div>\n\n <!-- TEXT RIGHT -->\n <div style=\"flex:1 1 45%;\">\n <h3>\n The <strong>AI &amp; Agent Lab<\/strong> event brought together experts from the core of education, technology, and AI development. The event featured presentations from <strong>Aalto University, Microsoft<\/strong>, and <strong>Modirum Platforms<\/strong>, and the discussion focused on how AI is being used in customer service\u2014using a top university\u2019s AI solutions as a practical example\u2014and on AI\u2019s rapidly evolving role. \n <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>The education sector at the forefront of AI <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The education sector has risen to the top among all industries in AI adoption. Presentations noted that a large share of educational institutions already use generative AI, and in students\u2019 everyday lives AI has become a natural part of learning. Education is an industry where AI\u2019s impact is both the greatest and where the need has been identified most clearly.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, a key challenge emerged: a <strong>skills gap<\/strong>. Even though AI use is becoming more common quickly, teachers, students, and organizations feel their understanding and practical skills are not developing at the same pace. This highlights the need for systematic, long-term AI development instead of isolated experiments.\n<br><br><\/p>\n<h3><strong>The next step of AI: autonomous agents<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The event also looked ahead to the next development phase: <strong>autonomous AI agents<\/strong>. While Copilot-type solutions support \nindividual tasks\u2014such as writing, analysis, or information retrieval\u2014agent-based AI can handle entire processes independently. This fundamentally changes how organizations operate and serve their customers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mb-1\">\n <figure class=\"blog-quote my-[2rem] pl-0 lg:pl-[2rem]\">\n <p class=\"italic\">\n <em>\u201cEvery employee will have a copilot. Every business process will have an agent.\u201d<\/em>\n <\/p>\n <h5 class=\"italic font-bold\"><em>Satya Nadella, CEO Microsoft <\/em><\/h5>\n <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><br><\/p>\n<h3><strong>The university of the future &amp; AI<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The discussion also raised a vision of the future university. According to Gartner research, by 2028 over 70% of learning materials will be produced with the help of generative AI. This is not only about efficiency, but entirely new ways to personalize learning and free up teachers\u2019 time for what matters most. This development is already underway. \n<br><br><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Aalto University systematic charge for AI adoption<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Aalto University serves as a concrete example of goal-oriented AI adoption. The presentation described some of the key steps in Aalto\u2019s AI journey: why it has invested in AI, some of the learnings, and some of the ways that AI supports daily work in for both academic and services staff. Aalto\u2019s approach emphasizes strategic consistency, a culture of experimentation, and development driven by practical needs. <\/p>\n<p>One of the key milestones was the <strong>Chat with aalto.fi<\/strong> AI solution, in whose development and implementation <strong>Modirum Platforms and Microsoft<\/strong> have participated. The goal being to help internal users find answers quickly without needing to search and browse multiple pages. Due to the success of the project, two new chatbots designed for different target groups: <strong>Student guide<\/strong>, which serves Aalto students with study-related questions, and Studies bot, which helps prospective students for example with matters related to applying, will be launched in the coming months. Both bots use the same broad source content from Aalto\u2019s website (30,000+ pages), but they are built to meet the needs of different user groups\u2014also taking into account user-specific content restrictions and multilingualism (Finnish, Swedish, English). <\/p>\n<p>The technological renewal of the solution has enabled a transparent, continuously evolving architecture in which information retrieval, orchestration logic, and response generation can be managed and optimized. This way, AI does not remain a \u201cblack box,\u201d but instead develops iteratively toward an increasingly reliable and targeted user experience. \n<br><br><\/p>\n<h3><strong>The anatomy of a successful AI project<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>A traditional IT project is based on predefined requirements and rules, whereas in an AI project the outcome is inherently probabilistic and can only really be understood through experimentation. That\u2019s why success depends on validating business viability and data suitability early, and on iterative work where quality improves from one cycle to the next. For an AI solution, you must define what \u201cgood enough\u201d looks like and measure it systematically, because perfection is rarely achievable in practice. Ultimately, an AI project doesn\u2019t \u201cfinish\u201d as a one-off delivery\u2014it requires ongoing monitoring, feedback, and continuous improvement in production. \n<br><br><\/p>\n<div>\n <div>\n <div class=\"text-image-row flex flex-col lg:flex-row lg:items-center gap-10 lg:gap-20\">\n <!-- TEXT RIGHT -->\n <div class=\"content-col lg:w-[40%] text-left\">\n\n <h3 class=\"mb-5 lg:mb-8 text-primary-darker\">\n <strong>What we learned<\/strong>\n <\/h3>\n\n <h5 class=\"text-primary\" style=\"margin-top: 1.5rem;\">\n The key takeaways from the event crystallized into a few main points:\n <\/h5>\n\n <!-- LIST 1 -->\n<ul style=\"margin-top:1rem; padding-left:0; list-style:none;\">\n <li class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"color:var(--text-lighter) !important; position:relative; padding-left:1rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; list-style:none; overflow:hidden;\">\n <span style=\"position:absolute; left:0; top:0; color:inherit;\">\u2022<\/span>\n When the foundation is in place, development progresses quickly\u2014deployment, change management, and compliance do not.\n <\/li>\n\n <li class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"color:var(--text-lighter) !important; position:relative; padding-left:1rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; list-style:none; overflow:hidden;\">\n <span style=\"position:absolute; left:0; top:0; color:inherit;\">\u2022<\/span>\n AI solutions are only as good as the underlying content and data.\n <\/li>\n\n <li class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"color:var(--text-lighter) !important; position:relative; padding-left:1rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; list-style:none; overflow:hidden;\">\n <span style=\"position:absolute; left:0; top:0; color:inherit;\">\u2022<\/span>\n Once in use, a clear framework is needed for decision-making and prioritization.\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n <!-- IN ADDITION -->\n <h5 class=\"text-primary\" style=\"margin-top: 2rem;\">\n In addition\n <\/h5>\n\n <!-- LIST 2 -->\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0.75rem; padding-left:0; list-style:none;\">\n <li class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"position:relative; padding-left:1.2rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; list-style:none; color:var(--text-lighter) !important;\">\n <span style=\"position:absolute; left:-2px; top:0; color:inherit;\">\u2022<\/span>\n AI projects must be based on a clear objective and a real need\n <\/li>\n\n <li class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"position:relative; padding-left:1.2rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; list-style:none; color:var(--text-lighter) !important;\">\n <span style=\"position:absolute; left:-2px; top:0; color:inherit;\">\u2022<\/span>\n Developing skills is just as important as the technology\n <\/li>\n\n <li class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"position:relative; padding-left:1.2rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; list-style:none; color:var(--text-lighter) !important;\">\n <span style=\"position:absolute; left:-2px; top:0; color:inherit;\">\u2022<\/span>\n Agent-based AI opens a new phase in automation and operational scalability\n <\/li>\n\n <li class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"position:relative; padding-left:1.2rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; list-style:none; color:var(--text-lighter) !important;\">\n <span style=\"position:absolute; left:-2px; top:0; color:inherit;\">\u2022<\/span>\n Success requires collaboration, experimentation, and continuous learning\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n <!-- STATEMENT -->\n <h5 class=\"text-primary\" style=\"margin-top: 1.5rem;\">\n AI is no longer the future\u2014it\u2019s today!\n <\/h5>\n\n <!-- SOURCES -->\n <p style=\"font-size:12px; opacity:0.7; margin-top:1rem; line-height:1.5;\">\n <em>\n Sources:<br>\n 1, 2, 3, 4: Microsoft presentation at AI &amp; Agent Lab \n 5: Robert Salv\u00e9n, Aalto University, Presentation at AI &amp; Agent Lab\n <\/em>\n <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <!-- IMAGE LEFT -->\n <div class=\"image-col lg:w-[60%] lg:h-[70vh] overflow-hidden rounded-base reveal-img-wrapper\">\n <div class=\"reveal-img-overlay\"><\/div>\n\n <video class=\"reveal-img rounded-[var(--btn-border-radius)] w-full h-full object-cover\" autoplay muted loop playsinline preload=\"metadata\">\n <source src=\"\/storage\/app\/media\/news\/ai-and-agent-lab-the-education-sector-at-the-forefront-of-aI\/news-slider-720p.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\">\n <\/source><\/video>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><br><br><\/p>\n<div style=\"display:flex; align-items:center; gap:4rem; flex-wrap:nowrap; margin-bottom:3rem;\">\n\n <!-- IMAGE LEFT -->\n <div class=\"image-col lg:w-[60%] lg:h-[70vh] overflow-hidden rounded-base reveal-img-wrapper\" style=\"width:60%;\">\n <div class=\"reveal-img-overlay\"><\/div>\n\n <img src=\"\/storage\/app\/media\/news\/ai-and-agent-lab-the-education-sector-at-the-forefront-of-aI\/aalto.jpg\" alt=\"Aalto University\" class=\"reveal-img w-full h-full object-cover rounded-[var(--btn-border-radius)]\">\n <\/div>\n\n <!-- TEXT RIGHT -->\n <div style=\"width:40%; display:flex; flex-direction:column; justify-content:center;\">\n <h3>\n <strong>Aalto University<\/strong>\n <\/h3>\n\n <div style=\"margin-top:1rem;\">\n <div class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"display:flex; gap:0.5rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; color:var(--text-lighter);\">\n <span>\u2022<\/span>\n <span>One of Europe\u2019s leading multidisciplinary universities (engineering, architecture, business, art &amp; design)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"display:flex; gap:0.5rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; color:var(--text-lighter);\">\n <span>\u2022<\/span>\n <span>13,900 degree students, over 100,000 alumni<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"display:flex; gap:0.5rem; margin-bottom:0.75rem; color:var(--text-lighter);\">\n <span>\u2022<\/span>\n <span>Strong international research and innovation profile<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"text-lighter\" style=\"display:flex; gap:0.5rem; color:var(--text-lighter);\">\n <span>\u2022<\/span>\n <span>Close collaboration with companies and technology ecosystems<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n<\/div>","published_at":"2026-04-27T00:00:00.000000Z","published":1,"created_at":"2026-04-27T13:07:28.000000Z","updated_at":"2026-04-28T11:44:00.000000Z","metadata":null,"heading":"","summary":"The AI & Agent Lab event brought together experts from the core of education, technology, and AI development. The event featured presentations from Aalto University, Microsoft, and Modirum Platforms, and the discussion focused on how AI is being used in customer service\u2014using a top university\u2019s AI solutions as a practical example\u2014and on AI\u2019s rapidly evolving role.","has_summary":true}