The Evolution of AI Product Design
In 2026, building a successful AI product is no longer just about model size or processing speed. It is about trust, accessibility, ethical alignment, and seamless integration into human workflows.
The AI-X Award 2026 celebrates digital solutions that push the boundaries of artificial intelligence while maintaining a clear focus on user impact, transparency, and practical problem-solving. From fighting sophisticated fraud to making e-commerce universally accessible, this year’s submissions demonstrate how frontier technology translates into real-world value.
Below, we dive into the finalists setting new industry standards—alongside remarkable projects recognized with an Honorable Mention.
Looking for the full event schedule and jury overview? Visit our official Future Product Days Award Page.
The AI-X Award 2026 Finalists
Scam Scanner by F-Secure
The Challenge:
Digital fraud is no longer limited to obvious phishing emails. Today, AI-generated scams appear seamlessly on social media platforms, job boards, and messaging apps, costing individuals millions annually.
The Solution:
F-Secure’s Scam Scanner allows users to simply upload a screenshot of any suspicious interaction. Powered by 38+ years of threat intelligence, the AI evaluates the context and delivers a plain-language verdict explaining why something is unsafe and what action to take.
Why It Stands Out:
The tool prioritizes explainability over black-box decisions, erring on the side of user safety while educating consumers in real time.
Sound Logo Wizard by Deutsche Telekom
The Challenge:
Global content creators produce thousands of marketing and social videos daily, but manually integrating and harmonizing a brand’s iconic sound logo requires studio-grade audio software and specialist knowledge.
The Solution:
The Sound Logo Wizard is an AI-powered, web-based tool that automates post-production. It detects missing brand endings, analyzes the musical key of the video’s audio, and harmoniously transposes Telekom’s sound logo into the exact matching key.
Why It Stands Out:
By combining computer vision, Music Information Retrieval (MIR), and voice-optimization deep learning, it treats audio branding as a context-aware, intelligent design layer.
Shake4Help by OTTO
The Challenge:
E-commerce platforms frequently present barriers to visually impaired shoppers through missing alt-text, unclear visual buttons, or complex navigation structures.
The Solution:
OTTO’s Shake4Help is an AI assistant activated simply by shaking the smartphone. Available in over 30 languages, it integrates directly with native screen readers, generates detailed visual descriptions of product images, and offers simplified language modes.
Why It Stands Out:
It intentionally avoids a fixed AI voice to let users maintain their preferred screen-reader settings, putting user autonomy at the core of accessible shopping.
Honorable Mentions: Pushing the AI Frontier
We are deeply grateful to every team that submitted their work to the AI-X Award 2026. These projects highlight the impressive scope of AI application across industries:
- Mercury Sage (by Commencis): An enterprise AI companion spanning the full software product lifecycle—from converting team discussions into Jira tickets to multi-stage pull request reviews under strict governance.
- UserHear (by Commencis): A multilingual, conversational AI layer that synthesizes qualitative user research in real time, transforming unstructured feedback into actionable design intelligence.
- ONLINE FACE (by ARAMEDIA JAPAN): A multi-layered AI identity verification system built for public administration programs, balancing strict regulatory compliance with digital accessibility.
- Smart claims (by B3tel): A generative AI conversational interface for insurance claims that replaces rigid forms with context-aware dialogue and instant payout capabilities.
- Clonable: An AI-driven translation and localization platform designed to eliminate language barriers for European businesses through neural voice cloning and structural data synchronization.
- Komplyt: Proprietary AI governance infrastructure for professional services, eliminating "shadow AI" by running models under strict corporate compliance frameworks.
- Recruiting Agent (by Workable): An AI hiring partner embedded directly inside the ATS that manages talent discovery, candidate evaluation, and automated pipeline updates while adhering to the EU AI Act.
- Buddy (by Bright Group): An empathetic conversational AI that uses neural profiling and emotional interpretation to adapt communication styles to the user's mood and context.
- NearLens: An on-device intelligence application that detects smart glasses camera signals in public spaces, protecting personal privacy through real-time alerts.
- Laurits: An AI-powered user insight platform that embeds behavioral personas directly into design testing workflows, enabling real-time simulation against user data.
Join Us Live in Copenhagen
The winners of both the AI-X Award and the UX NORDIC Award 2026 will be crowned live on stage at the Future Product Days conference in Copenhagen! Want to see these teams present their work in person? Get your Future Product Days tickets today!
