Swedish Firm Klarna Admits AI Shortcomings, Plans To Rehire Human Staff For Customer Service

Two years ago, the Swedish fintech firm Klarna made a significant shift towards artificial intelligence (AI), reducing its human workforce. However, the company has now recognized the limitations of AI in delivering the quality of customer service expected and is looking to rehire human staff. Klarna, primarily known for its "buy now, pay later" services, had initially partnered with OpenAI to automate many of its customer service functions, hoping to save costs and improve efficiency.

The company's reliance on AI resulted in a substantial reduction in its workforce from over 5,500 employees in 2022 to just 3,400 by the end of 2024, as revealed in its initial public offering (IPO) filing in March. Klarna's CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, previously boasted about the cost savings achieved through AI, claiming the technology could perform tasks equivalent to 700 customer service agents, including translation, art production, and data analysis.

However, in a recent turn of events, Siemiatkowski admitted in an interview reported by Futurism that the AI-driven approach did not meet expectations in terms of quality. "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," he said, highlighting the importance of human interaction in customer service. He further acknowledged that prioritizing cost reduction over quality had negatively impacted the customer experience, stating, "As cost unfortunately seems to have been a too predominant evaluation factor when organising this, what you end up having is lower quality. Really investing in the quality of the human support is the way of the future for us."

In response to these challenges, Klarna is now preparing to launch a new recruitment drive focused on hiring human workers, particularly for customer-facing roles where empathy and judgment are crucial. According to Bloomberg, the company is exploring innovative hiring methods that allow for remote work, drawing inspiration from the gig economy model employed by companies like Uber.

This strategic shift marks a significant departure from Klarna's earlier stance on AI and automation, underscoring the fintech sector's ongoing struggle to find the right balance between technological innovation and human touch. As Klarna readjusts its approach, it reflects a broader industry trend towards valuing human interaction and quality customer service, even in the face of technological advancements.

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