Key Takeaways
- Klarna is committed to offering human customer support alongside its increasing use of AI tools.
- The company’s CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, stated AI will handle routine tasks, allowing staff to focus on more complex customer needs.
- Klarna has launched an “always human” initiative, ensuring customers can always connect with a person if they choose.
- Despite past workforce reductions linked to AI, Klarna is now actively hiring for customer-facing roles.
Klarna is navigating the rise of artificial intelligence by striking a balance: embracing AI’s efficiency while ensuring customers can always connect with a human.
CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski emphasized this dual approach at SXSW London. He explained that AI is excellent for handling repetitive, manual tasks, which has helped Klarna streamline customer support and reduce operational costs, according to PYMNTS.com.
While the company’s overall workforce has decreased in the past two years, Siemiatkowski suggested this shift allows remaining employees to focus on providing that crucial “human touch.”
He also shared an interesting trend: business professionals, himself included, are now learning to code, sometimes leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT for assistance.
Reflecting this people-first commitment, Klarna launched an “always human” initiative. Siemiatkowski detailed on X (formerly Twitter) that this empowers employees with more time to address complex customer challenges and provide empathetic support.
This strategy has also enabled Klarna to lessen its dependence on external outsourcing partners. When asked about current hiring, the CEO pointed to growth primarily in “Sales and ‘always human’ roles – essentially, any position that directly faces the customer.”
This thinking aligns with earlier developments in May, when PYMNTS.com reported Klarna was rethinking some AI-centered cost-cutting. The company began hiring to ensure customers could always reach a human for service.
At that time, Siemiatkowski stressed the importance of this clarity, saying, “From a brand perspective, a company perspective, I just think it’s so critical that you are clear to your customer that there will always be a human if you want.”
