AI that actually gets used.

I help leadership teams move from AI ambition to operational reality.

20+ years connecting design, business, and technology.
Previous work includes IKEA, Assa Abloy, and AXIS.

Available Q1 2026
Experience 20+ years

Design, innovation & business development

Organisations 50+

Including IKEA, Assa Abloy, AXIS

Agent delivery 4–6 weeks

From workshop to production

Current AI Empower Labs

Partner & Strategist

View partnership →

What I do

From strategy
to implementation

According to Gartner research, 70% of AI projects fail to move beyond pilot stage. The problem isn't technology — it's unclear strategy and poor adoption. I help organisations get both right.

Sources: Gartner, McKinsey State of AI

AI strategy tied to business goals

Not technology for technology's sake

01

Process mapping & pilot projects

Finding where AI creates real value

02

Training for leadership teams

Building internal capability, not dependency

03

Workshop

AI Agent Workshop

Identify use cases and build simple business cases for AI-driven automation. One full day with your leadership team, product owners, or business managers. Typical outcome: 2–4 validated use cases with ROI estimates.

AI agents represent the next wave of enterprise automation. Unlike traditional RPA, agents can handle unstructured data, make contextual decisions, and adapt to exceptions — reducing manual work by up to 80% in suitable processes.

Book for your team →

Common ground

45 min

What AI agents actually are. Real examples. Risks and governance. What's realistic today.

Process mapping

60 min

Map your workflows. Find repetitive, time-consuming, rule-based tasks with automation potential.

Use case definition

60 min

Define concrete use cases: what the agent does, inputs, decisions, outputs, and value created.

Prioritisation

45 min

Rank by business value, feasibility, and risk. Land on 2–4 candidates ready for pilot.

Business cases

60 min

Time savings, cost impact, quality gains, investment needs. Clear assumptions you can validate.

Action plan

30 min

Ownership, validation steps, decision points, and pilot setup. Work continues after the room.

What you leave with

Process map

Visual overview with marked automation candidates

Use case list

Ranked by business value and feasibility

Business cases

2–4 documented cases with clear assumptions

Action plan

Next steps, ownership, timeline, decisions

From workshop to production

Through AI Empower Labs, we build your first agent in 4–6 weeks. Connected to your critical business systems. Full-stack solution with RAG, on-premise hosting, dedicated GPU/CPU infrastructure.

EU AI Act compliant. GDPR ready. High security. Your data stays with you.

Side projects

Tools I'm building

Writing

Selected articles

Common questions

Frequently asked

What is an AI Agent Workshop?

A full-day facilitated workshop for leadership teams, product owners, and business managers. You identify use cases for AI-driven automation and build simple business cases with clear ROI estimates. You leave with a prioritised list of 2–4 pilot-ready use cases.

How long does it take to build an AI agent?

Through AI Empower Labs, we build your first production-ready AI agent in 4–6 weeks. This includes connection to your critical business systems, full-stack solution with RAG, and on-premise hosting.

Is the platform GDPR compliant?

Yes. The AI Empower Labs platform is EU AI Act compliant and GDPR ready. We offer on-premise hosting so your data stays with you, with high security standards and dedicated GPU/CPU infrastructure.

Who is this for?

Organisations who want to move beyond AI experimentation. Leadership teams ready to connect AI to real business processes. Companies who need security, compliance, and control over their data.

Johan Salo

About

Background

I've spent 20+ years as a consultant in design, innovation, and business development, working with more than 50 organisations across Nordic and European markets. My background is in UX, service design, and industrial design — always focused on how people actually use products and services.

"The best AI strategy is one that makes technology invisible and outcomes obvious."

Today I work with AI initiatives through AI Empower Labs, and teach AI & Design at Kristianstad University. I also run my own company, AIxDesign Global AB.

On the side: licensed personal trainer (SWE cert.), compete in strength sports including 2nd place Nordic Armwrestling Championships. Father of two. Based in Skåne, Sweden.

Location Skåne, Sweden
Reach Nordic & Global