Klarna’s CEO addressed the seeming contradiction between their big AI push—replacing 700 jobs—and hiring more human employees. His takeaway? “Two things can be true at the same time.” While AI has trimmed headcount from 5,500 to 3,000 by automating repetitive tasks (especially in customer support), Klarna is reinvesting cost savings back into people with cash and equity. Human service remains a “VIP” experience, likened to preferring hand-stitched clothes over machine-made — AI handles the “boring jobs,” while humans provide empathy and nuance.
He also highlighted an emerging new breed at Klarna: businesspeople who code. AI tools like ChatGPT are empowering non-engineers—including Siemiatkowski himself—to understand complex technical details and contribute more deeply. He personally uses ChatGPT to decode technical Slack conversations, describing the AI as a personal tutor.
Siemiatkowski voiced concerns about AI fueling online scams, especially in trust-heavy countries like Sweden and Singapore—an emerging challenge for fintech firms.
To power AI better, Klarna has stopped using fragmented platforms like Salesforce and Workday, consolidating data by ditching around 1,200 smaller tools for a cleaner, centralized system.
On the much-anticipated IPO front, the CEO remained noncommittal but hinted that calmer markets might be pushing Klarna closer to a decision.
And for a bit of levity, when asked what his magic wish would be, he joked: “Make the UK part of the EU again,” to cheers from the London crowd.
