Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski is reportedly rolling back the Swedish fintech’s reliance on AI in a new recruiting drive.
Founded in 2005, Klarna helped BNPL (buy now, pay later) checkout options go mainstream, and came close to going public on the New York Stock Exchange earlier this year.
In the run-up to the IPO, which reports suggest has been delayed until later this year, Siemiatkowski waxed lyrical about the benefits of artificial intelligence in cutting costs and increasing operational efficiency.
But according to a speech at Klarna headquarters in Stockholm yesterday, reported by Bloomberg, Siemiatkowski now believes the company’s AI-driven cost-cutting plan has gone too far and wants to recruit a new division of remote workers in rural and student populations to bolster customer service operations.
Siemiatkowski now believes it’s “critical” that a human will always be available from a customer service perspective, the site reports.
“As cost unfortunately seems to have been a too predominant evaluation factor when organising this, what you end up having is lower quality,” he said. “Really investing in the quality of the human support is the way of the future for us.”
Still, Klarna remains enthusiastic about AI, with Siemiatkowski saying the technology will be incorporated into the rebuilding of the company’s tech stack to improve efficiency.
When approached for comment, a Klarna spokesperson rejected suggestions the company was U-turning on AI adoption, emphasising the ways human workers and the technology can work together.
"AI brings speed. Human talent brings empathy. Together, they let us deliver service that’s fast when it matters, and personal when it counts," they said. "It’s not AI versus humans – it’s AI and humans, working together. That’s where the magic happens."
The company is also aiming to release the first iteration of a new digital assistant, which will be able to negotiate the best interest rates and insurance premiums on a customer’s behalf.
