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.

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.