Ethical AI is at its best when it stays in the background, making community life easier without stealing the spotlight or private data. The Go Mallusjoki! Ideathon shows how digital tools can quietly power local ambition while keeping people, culture, and place at the centre.

Start with coordination, the hidden backbone of any event ecosystem. An AI-assisted calendar helps organisers avoid clashes, suggests optimal dates, and auto-generates targeted marketing copy. For newcomers and families, a wellbeing app curates activity recommendations based on interests and accessibility needs, forest walks with friends, low-threshold gatherings at the “wellbeing pub,” or youth-led gaming nights during Turning Coat Week.

Learning and heritage become more interactive. A map-based “Learning Path” links the school with clubs, NGOs, and village services; QR codes unlock stories recorded by residents. AR brings prehistoric sites to life, while an online “tour pass” gamifies exploration. Digital never replaces the real thing; it nudges participation, deepens understanding, and widens the welcome.

On the lake, AI can add practical value without fuss. A water-quality page merges satellite data with citizen observations, giving swimmers confidence and helping volunteers target restoration. A winter fishing guide suggests safe spots and hours. For seniors, smart scheduling optimises sauna visits and lifts. For entrepreneurs, an AI “village guide” offers sparring on product ideas, delivery routes, and event sales.

Crucially, AI supports inclusion. Multilingual chatbots make events clearer for newcomers; recommendation tools surface activities for different ages and abilities; and feedback bots lower the barrier to sharing ideas. Design remains human: locals decide priorities, volunteers lead, and coordination is a real job, not a “nice-to-have”.

The result is not a “smart village” veneer but an everyday digital helper, glue between people, places, and programmes. By treating AI as supportive scaffolding, Mallusjoki can run a busy calendar with less friction, celebrate its heritage with new audiences, and scale what works to neighbouring communities. Tech stays humble, protects privacy, and does not consume unnecessary energy. Locals stay central, and the village grows more welcoming, week by week.

The Go Mallusjoki! Ideathon received funding from the PoliRuralPlus project, which is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under a grant agreement No 101136910.