Pekka Martikainen is a versatile software development professional with over 25 years of experience. About a year ago, Pekka decided to completely overhaul his everyday work – he went all-in with using AI tools for everything he does. And he hasn’t looked back.
Today, Pekka’s main job is to train and coach Unikie’s developers in AI-assisted software development.
Passion for Creative Problem Solving
Throughout his career, Pekka has held a wide variety of roles in project management, software design and technical lead positions. The jobs Pekka has enjoyed the most have one thing in common: creative freedom and the possibility to solve tough technical problems.
For him, creativity means not being restricted to tight specifications when starting a task. In customer projects, the customer ideally explains what they want, Pekka gets to work and eventually proposes a solution in the form of a demo, for example.
“It’s energizing to see customers’ reaction when my solution hits the mark. I set my bar quite high: I’m ambitious about not just meeting but also exceeding customer expectations,” Pekka says.
In addition to natural talent for problem solving, Pekka’s recipe for success includes persistence – and a whole lot of work.
Becoming an AI Catalyst
In 2022, ChatGPT was released. Pekka got interested in AI and started using it in his everyday work. The big bang, however, was the release of Claude Code in 2025.
Before long, Pekka decided to go all-in in AI-driven development. From code and test generation to planning, from code review to brainstorming, the use cases for AI cover the entire spectrum of software development.
“The AI revolution has already happened. And it will continue – the level of abstraction will only get higher and the role of the human developer will transform,” Pekka says.
Today, Pekka is focusing on training and coaching Unikie’s 500 software professionals to use AI in their everyday work and researching how AI-driven development can best serve new domains.
“My mission is to be an AI catalyst; speeding up the adoption of AI for individuals, teams and projects. Nowadays, I get a kick out of seeing people having an a-ha moment or getting feedback on how their work has changed for the better.”
AI Adds Customer Value
According to Pekka, AI can add value in all of Unikie’s customer projects. Even the most safety-critical projects where using AI-generated code is a red flag, the team can benefit from AI-assisted planning or sparring, for example.
The most obvious customer benefit is access to consultants who work comfortably with AI.
“AI can give a massive productivity boost, but critical thinking and understanding how and where to use it is essential. Knowing how to best use these new tools comes down to individuals,” he says.
However, there is one aspect to AI that worries the AI enthusiast.
“In addition to constantly honing my cooking skills, making music is a big passion for me. I have to admit that I’m worried that AI will cause a flood of AI-generated music, which is a concern for someone like me who both produces and promotes music — I curate a popular smooth jazz playlist on Spotify and have been invited to speak at international jazz events.”
