Sebastian Siemiatkowski attends the official launch of the Klarna pop-up on June 4, 2019, in London.
Dave Benett/Dave Benett/Getty ImagesKlarna, a Swedish financial technology company known for its controversial buy now, pay later program, is pushing back on reports that it regrets pivoting away from human employees and prioritizing artificial intelligence.
Popular among TikTok users and Generation Z, Klarna, much like Affirm and Afterpay, allows online shoppers to divide large purchases into multiple payments. A modern — and potentially problematic — alternative to credit cards, it enables mostly young, inexperienced consumers to take on debt, SFGATE previously reported.
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Earlier this month, the fintech company made headlines when several outlets proclaimed that it regretted its decision to pivot away from human workers to artificial intelligence, especially in the customer service sector. According to a May 8 Bloomberg report, Klarna CEO and co-founder Sebastian Siemiatkowski said the company is now piloting an “Uber type of setup” for remote customer service workers who can choose their schedules and earn at least 400 Swedish krona, around $41, per hour. Basically, the position, according to the job posting, is a “freelance consultant role” reminiscent of gig economy employers like Instacart and DoorDash.
“From a brand perspective, a company perspective,” Siemiatkowski said in the Bloomberg article, “I just think it’s so critical that you are clear to your customer that there will be always a human if you want.”
Overall, the pilot program is a small test designed to “complement our AI setup, not replace it or signal a reversal,” a Klarna spokesperson told SFGATE Tuesday. According to the May Bloomberg report, the company aims to recruit students and workers from rural areas, and two of these agents are now live.
“Klarna is not backing down from AI,” the spokesperson said. “We continue to invest heavily, including a full rebuild of our tech stack to be AI-first,” they continued, adding that its AI assistant handles the equivalent of over 800 full-time roles — a number that, according to them, is steadily growing.
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As a result, AI “is slashing costs across the business, most noticeable in customer service,” a May 19 news release from the company reads. Siemiatkowski isn’t the only high-powered tech executive who’s championed AI in recent years: In 2024, Dropbox CEO Drew Houston told the Verge that he laid off 500 employees partly so he could hire engineers to work on AI, SFGATE reported.
“AI is now deeply embedded across our business, unlocking efficiency and record-setting growth,” a digital avatar of Siemiatkowski said in the release.
