Klarna Group Plc’s co-founder and CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, has admitted the fintech giant’s aggressive use of artificial intelligence in customer service has backfired. “As cost unfortunately seems to have been a too predominant evaluation factor when organizing this, what you end up having is lower quality,” he said at Klarna’s Stockholm headquarters.
The company had halted hiring for over a year to focus on building AI capabilities, part of a broader cost-cutting effort. However, Siemiatkowski now says the shift needs recalibration. “Really investing in the quality of the human support is the way of the future for us.”
Human touch returns to Klarna
In a strategic pivot, Klarna is launching a fresh recruitment drive for customer support roles — a “rare” move, according to a report in Bloomberg. The firm is piloting a new model where remote workers, such as students or people in rural areas, can log in and provide service on-demand, “in an Uber type of setup.” Currently, two agents are part of the trial.
“We also know there are tons of Klarna users that are very passionate about our company and would enjoy working for us,” Siemiatkowski said. He emphasised that from both a “brand perspective” and “company perspective,” it is critical to “always” give customers the option to speak to a human.
AI still central to Klarna
While scaling back its all-in AI push for customer service, Klarna remains committed to integrating artificial intelligence across its operations. The firm is rebuilding its technology stack with AI at the core to drive efficiency, and is working on a digital financial assistant to help customers secure better interest rates and insurance deals, the news outlet reported.
Siemiatkowski, 43, said Klarna’s relationship with OpenAI remains strong. “We wanted to be [OpenAI’s] favorite guinea pig,” he recalled, referencing Klarna’s early collaboration with the AI leader in 2023.
Post-boom course correction
Klarna’s renewed hiring comes after a period of turbulence. The company’s valuation plunged from a peak of $45.6 billion in 2021 to $6.7 billion during a 2022 funding round. It has since rebounded, with plans to raise $1 billion via IPO at a valuation of over $15 billion — though those plans were recently paused amid market volatility, according to the news report.
The company’s 2024 announcement that AI was handling the workload of 700 human agents shook the call center industry, sending shares of France-based Teleperformance SE down sharply.
Workforce still set to shrink
Despite the return to hiring, Klarna’s headcount is still expected to shrink through attrition. “In a year’s time,” Siemiatkowski said, “we’ll probably be down to about 2,500 people from 3,000.” He added the pace of downsizing could increase as AI technology improves.
“I feel a bit like Elon Musk,” the Klarna CEO quipped, “always wanting to say it’s going to happen tomorrow, when it’s going to take a little bit longer. I think it’s very likely within 12 months.”