At the science event organized by Lahti Junior University, high school students had the opportunity to learn and experience the importance of collaboration and multidisciplinary expertise in surviving crisis and disaster situations. Solving a disaster scenario requires professionals from fields such as social and health care, environmental sciences, wood and construction engineering, information technology, nutrition science, engineering, communication, and service design.
Each student participated in two workshops they had selected in advance. In total, there were more than 20 workshops.
In the LuovAIn! project’s workshop, students stepped into the role of experts to design a storm-resilient city of the future using artificial intelligence. The goal of the workshop was to use creative problem-solving to explore how we can build a future that can withstand various crises, climate changes, and challenges.
The workshop began with a lecture covering the basics of artificial intelligence, including different language models, effective prompting techniques, and how AI can be used for information retrieval, design support, and generating concept images. Next, the participants brainstormed and designed their chosen project using artificial intelligence. The project could focus on a specific area or a public building, such as a future hospital, school, or sports hall.
The students were tasked with designing a scale model of a storm-resilient city using artificial intelligence. The goal was to use ChatGPT and Copilot for information gathering and planning. After the design phase, they built a physical scale model using available materials. Finally, the students presented their models along with the ideas generated by AI and explained how residents would act in a storm-resilient city.
A total of 13 students participated in the morning workshop and 18 in the afternoon session. The models created by the groups included, for example, a school, a daycare center, an airport, and a sports hall.
The students’ enthusiasm was clearly visible in their work. All group members actively and equally contributed to the design and construction of the models. Although some students mentioned feeling nervous about the final presentation, each group presented their final product excellently - some even included an interesting story as part of their concept.
At the end of the workshop, each participant gave feedback on a post-it note by answering the questions: How did it feel? What did you learn? What was it like to use AI?
Participants found the workshop enjoyable because they got to work in groups, brainstorm, use their creativity, and build a tangible scale model using various materials. The topic was seen as timely and relevant. However, the limited time posed a challenge for both planning and construction. Opinions on using AI were divided - it was seen as both helpful and, the other site frustrating.
“The workshop facilitators gave good tips for working with AI. There could have been more time for building and less for presentations.”
“A versatile workshop that was educational and allowed us to use our own creativity.”
“The content and implementation were fun and creative. The Legos were a great addition :) Pretty awesome! Good job!”
“It was also nice to work in groups – not doing everything alone. A timely topic.”
“It was fun, though the planning felt a bit rushed. AI was helpful.”
“Creative work was enjoyable, brainstorming was interesting, and working with AI was pleasant – it gave new perspectives on our own ideas.”
“It was fun to build structures and use different materials for visualization. AI did not always work as expected.”
“The task was enjoyable because of the freedom it gave, and being creative was fun :)”
“Nice to be creative. Got good ideas from ChatGPT. Learned tips on how to use AI. There were enough materials.”
“The workshop was different – in a good way. Got to explore AI in a new way.”
“I thought the workshop was nice. It was fun to design and use ChatGPT to support the process.”
“Building with the help of AI was fun.”
“It was pretty fun, even though we lost our patience with the AI at times. The work itself was enjoyable.”
The workshop served as a pilot for the LuovAIn! project’s roadshow events, which will be held across Finland in 2025 and 2026.
Author: Eeva Leinonen, M.Sc., Doctoral Researcher, Project Manager, University of Oulu, Kerttu Saalasti Institute, MicroENTRE
Photos: Minna Kilpeläinen
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