I talk to walk the talk. Selected international keynote talks and presentations.
STHLM Xperience Conference 2025. Redefining Conversational CX: leading product design and innovation for GenAI-powered experiences (Stockholm, Sweden)
I keynoted on product design and innovation leadership for GenAI. Excitement and inspiration in the air in Stockholm!I also defined the concept of conversational CX in more detail:
“Customer can guide the experience in a back-and-forth manner based on a dynamically generated modular interface. The generative interface can proactively surface personalized interaction options and content to the customer.”
More: https://sthlm.xconf.co
GeorgeUX Conference 2025. Leading product design innovation for generative AI-powered customer experiences (Vienna, Austria)
I keynoted on future direction, innovation and product design leadership for GenAI, sharing concrete learnings and insight on designing conversational customer experiences at scale.
More: https://ux-conf.george-labs.com/speaker/jarno-koponen.html
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/live/rOs-R5iQI9I?si=CY1ywwQ219B9Xxtu&t=9991
UXcon Vienna 2025. Designing dynamic customer experiences powered by generative AI – Learnings from Zalando assistant (Vienna, Austria)
In my keynote on main stage I delved deep into leading product design for dynamic genAI-powered experiences, using Zalando AI Assistant as an innovation case study (more about my vision in the article in the comments).
Amazing atmosphere where hundreds of UI/UX practitioners and thinkers from designers to user researchers and devs came together to share the latest ideas, learnings, inspiration and insights.
More: https://www.uxcon.io/speaker/jarno-m-koponen
Zalando Product Day, Sep 2025. Human-centered AI product design leadership panel. (Berlin, Germany)
In the panel bringing together seasoned senior leaders from Zalando, Tofigh Naghibi (Head of Research), Jeni Actor (Head of Product Design) and Jason McCue (Director of Product), we went in the deep end on discussing about the opportunities and challenges in driving human-centered approach when building AI-powered experiences and products. In sum, human-centered approach is critical for getting the AI-powered experiences to drive customer impact and to create business value.
Siemens AI Summit 2025. Cross-industry perspective: how to drive product design and scalable innovation for generative and agentic AI in e-commerce (Munich, Germany)
Cross-industry panel with leaders from Deutsche Bank, Bosch, Siemens and BHS. Shared concrete leanings, insights and vision on leading product design for GenAI and agentic AI innovation in e-commerce industry.
Chatbot Summit Berlin, 2025. Designing Scalable Dynamic Customer Experiences Powered by GenAI: Learnings from Zalando Assistant (Berlin, Germany)
My masterclass keynote about generative AI-powered CX and innovation leadership covered:
- How to design and scale AI-powered customer experience from zero across all European markets (to over 50 million people with 21 local languages)
- How to pragmatically drive customer-centric innovation in a fast-moving space with cross-functional teams
- How to concretely combine UI/UX and generative AI into an impactful and engaging customer experience
CX Network’s The AI Revolution in CX Day, 2025. How Zalando built, released and scaled an AI-powered assistant for 50 million customers (Online)
My keynote for CX networks on product design and innovation leadership: how AI is enhancing product discovery at scale for Europe’s biggest lifestyle platform Zalando.
More: https://www.cxnetwork.com/replay-video/content/zalando-ai-assistant
Conversational AI & Customer Experience Summit 2024. Designing for generative AI powered content discovery – 10 learnings from Zalando Assistant (Munich, Germany)
I gave a keynote talk to a numerous and knowledgeable audience panning across different sectors from automotive, real estate and aviation to banking, logistics and e-commerce in Conversational AI & Customer Experience Summit. One of the key messages from my talk: Conversational CX doesn’t mean typing or talking. For content discovery it means visual, dynamic and relevant experiences that allow rich and fluid interactions and engagement for the customer.
More: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/conversational-ai-customer-experience-summit/
Hype or not, how and when will web3 (blockchain/NFTs) and metaverse (AR/VR/XR) impact journalism? (International Symposium on Online Journalism 2022. Austin, USA 2022)
A presentation followed by a panel discussion with Emily Bell (Tow Center for Digital Journalism), Maria Bustillos (Popula) and Ray Soto (Gannett, USA Today). I focused on three main questions: 1) How do you build the journalistic organization for the future? What does it look like? 2) Reality check: do we need to update the journalistic process for the age of real-time information feeds and social media operations? 3) What is the next interface to information/journalistic content?
More: https://isoj.org/symposia/2022/
Leadership for the digital age: Deep Fakes, AI Trolls, and Ever Weirder Cyber Threats (by The Ulkopolitist & Microsoft, Helsinki and online 2022)
An in-depth panel discussion about the most recent developments around cyber security and hybrid operations.
Journalism and AI: the multidisciplinary approach for responsible AI (Mindspiration Seminar at Deutsche Welle, online 2021)
Gave an overview on multidisciplinary approach developed by our journalistic AI/ML team at Yle News Lab and Yle News. Concrete examples included Voitto content automation system, Troll Factory edugame and new tooling built for news acquisition.
How are AI-based technologies used in newsrooms? Practical cases and opportunities. (The European Union —High-Level Conference. Lisbon, Portugal/online 2021)
The Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union —High-Level Conference “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Journalism – Will AI take hold of the 4th estate?”
👓 Read: https://ruc.dk/en/working-consciously-ai-newsrooms and https://conferenceaijournalism.pt/
Trust in media: Audience Engagement & Artificial Intelligence (European Federation of Journalists’ Online Seminar, 2021)
“What are the tasks that machines can have the most impact in? Or when are people more suitable to build trust? You need to find the right balance.”
Tools for democracy (Mindtrek Conference. Tampere, Finland 2020)
👓 Read: https://www.mindtrek.org/2020/speaker/jarno-m-koponen/
Combining News Media, Artificial Intelligence, and UX Design (Journalism AI report launch. Google HQ London, UK 2019)
Launch for Journalism AI Report by London School of Economics’ Polis and Google News Initiative.
📺 Watch: https://youtu.be/4tGZRvlvz3Q
👓 Read: https://medium.com/hacks-hackers-london/five-ways-ai-can-help-journalism-fe4efd05a8d
Tools for democracy (International LIFT Conference 2019. Helsinki, Finland 2019)
📺 Watch: https://areena.yle.fi/1-50331502
On journalism and AI: artificial intelligence in news production (Circom 37th Annual Conference. Novi Sad, Serbia 2019)
📺 Watch: https://youtu.be/mDVYsO2FSpY
📺 Watch: backstage interview https://youtu.be/hRyWghaEggU
AI for news media (Data-Driven Design Day 2018, Helsinki Design Week. Helsinki, Finland 2018)
📺 Watch: https://youtu.be/pb199d9US3o
Forget AI-First, It’s Human-First: Towards Human-centered Personalization and Automation (The ARD / ZDF Media Academy Seminar. Frankfurt, Germany 2017)
An international conference bringing together thinkers and practitioners on journalism and AI. More:
https://twitter.com/ilparone/status/940271352698810368
Future of AI with Jarno M. Koponen (Futures Finland’s AI session. Helsinki, Finland 2017)
The future of human agency in the age of artificial intelligence. More: http://futuresfinland.com/blog/2017/5/10/future-of-ai-with-jarno-m-koponen
Algorithms, publicity and media / Algoritmit, julkisuus ja media (University of Helsinki / Helsingin yliopisto: Digitaalisen yhteiskunnan rajapinnoilla -luentosarja Tiedekulmassa. Helsinki, Finland 2017)
📺 Watch: https://www2.helsinki.fi/fi/unitube/video/88447eb1-1412-4740-bc26-52ac9f81d20e (FI)
Jarno M. Koponen 