Klarna’s CEO says it stopped hiring thanks to AI but still advertises many open positions

Klarna's CEO attributes AI for workforce reduction but is still hiring.

: Klarna's CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, claims AI has reduced the need for new hires, dropping the workforce from 4,500 to 3,500. Despite these claims, Klarna continues to hire for over 50 global roles and backfills essential positions, particularly in engineering. This discrepancy indicates that while AI improves efficiency, full workforce replacement hasn't been realized. Klarna aims for an IPO, portraying itself as an AI-driven company.

Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of Klarna, highlighted the impact of AI on reducing the company's workforce, claiming a reduction from 4,500 to 3,500 employees within a year. Despite asserting AI's capability to replace human jobs, Klarna continues to hire, with over 50 positions currently open globally.

Siemiatkowski notes that AI allows salary increases due to operational efficiencies, and he has demonstrated AI's potential by creating a deepfake of himself. Nonetheless, Klarna's hiring patterns show backfilling for critical roles, especially in engineering, which reveals that AI hasn't fully replaced the need for human work.

Klarna's press lead, John Craske, mentioned the historical context of hiring trends, explaining Siemiatkowski's remarks as a simplification for media clarity. The potential IPO may drive Siemiatkowski to emphasize AI integration to appeal to investors, although widespread AI adoption in businesses remains gradual.