Klarna CEO says realizing AI could do his job made him feel 'gloomy'
Jan 06, 2025 - businessinsider.com
Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski has expressed concerns about AI's ability to perform his job and other roles within the company, citing its reasoning capabilities. He described this realization as "gloomy" because work is an important part of his identity. Siemiatkowski noted that while AI can solve simple problems and has the building blocks to tackle complex tasks, the exact method to replicate human work is not fully developed. Despite these concerns, Klarna has embraced AI, with its AI assistant performing the work of 700 full-time human agents, leading to a reduction in hiring and a natural attrition rate of 20%.
Klarna is preparing for a US IPO, having confidentially submitted draft registration documents to the SEC. Additionally, the company plans to implement random drug testing for its Swedish staff as part of a broader security effort. Klarna's director of people and HR, Mikaela Mijatovic, communicated this change to employees via Slack. The company did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
Key takeaways:
Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski believes AI can perform his job due to its reasoning capabilities, which makes him feel "gloomy."
Siemiatkowski has expressed concerns about AI's potential to disrupt traditional roles, stating that AI could already do all human jobs.
Klarna has embraced AI, with its AI assistant performing the equivalent work of 700 full-time human agents, leading to reduced hiring.
Klarna is preparing for a US IPO and plans to start random drug testing for staff in Sweden as part of a security effort.
