Klarna Says AI Drive Has Helped Halve Staff Numbers and Boost Pay (theguardian.com)
(Tuesday November 18, 2025 @05:20PM (msmash)
from the how-about-that dept.)
- Reference: 0180128387
- News link: https://slashdot.org/story/25/11/18/1951214/klarna-says-ai-drive-has-helped-halve-staff-numbers-and-boost-pay
- Source link: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/nov/18/buy-now-pay-later-klarna-ai-helped-halve-staff-boost-pay
Klarna has claimed that AI-related savings have allowed the buy now, pay later company to increase staff salaries by nearly 60%, but hinted it could [1]slash more jobs after nearly halving its workforce over the past three years. From a report:
> Chief executive Sebastian Siemiatkowski said headcount had dropped from 5,527 to 2,907 since 2022, mostly as a result of natural attrition, with departing staff replaced by technology rather than by new staff members.
>
> The figures add to the impact of an internal artificial intelligence programme, which had steadily reduced its use of outsourced workers including those in customer service, with technology now carrying out the work of 853 full-time staff, up from 700 earlier this year. It meant the company, which was founded in Sweden in 2005, had managed to increase revenues by 108% while keeping operating costs flat. Siemiatkowski told analysts on an earnings call on Tuesday that it was "pretty remarkable, and unheard of as a number, among businesses."
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/nov/18/buy-now-pay-later-klarna-ai-helped-halve-staff-boost-pay
> Chief executive Sebastian Siemiatkowski said headcount had dropped from 5,527 to 2,907 since 2022, mostly as a result of natural attrition, with departing staff replaced by technology rather than by new staff members.
>
> The figures add to the impact of an internal artificial intelligence programme, which had steadily reduced its use of outsourced workers including those in customer service, with technology now carrying out the work of 853 full-time staff, up from 700 earlier this year. It meant the company, which was founded in Sweden in 2005, had managed to increase revenues by 108% while keeping operating costs flat. Siemiatkowski told analysts on an earnings call on Tuesday that it was "pretty remarkable, and unheard of as a number, among businesses."
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/nov/18/buy-now-pay-later-klarna-ai-helped-halve-staff-boost-pay
Hmmm. (Score:4, Informative)
by fuzzyfuzzyfungus ( 1223518 )
Is this the same Klarna that has already been through one cycle of being super bullish about AI and then having to re-hire some [1]actual customer support [customerex...cedive.com]?
[1] https://www.customerexperiencedive.com/news/klarna-reinvests-human-talent-customer-service-AI-chatbot/747586/
Pizza Loans (Score:2)
by bill_mcgonigle ( 4333 ) *
Here I am about to think "damn, people losing their jobs to AI" and then I realize its the "pizza in 4-easy payments" people.
They should probably go all-in on AI as soon as possible. For their investors' sake.
Re: (Score:2)
by OrangeTide ( 124937 )
Get in early, get out early. It's a proven strategy for crypto and soon for AI.
Klarna? (Score:2)
by SlashbotAgent ( 6477336 )
The stupidest loan company yet that is teetering on the edge of collapse? The one whose stock(key word) is down 30% or more? that Klarna?
Lesson the pay + bring in proper care = loyalty! (Score:2)
They are boosting the pay of the staff but those staff are sitting down for countless hours chatting with an AI while their spines become riddled with health-robbing vertebral subluxations.
Sure, their pay has risen by 60% but I guarantee you their lives will be shortened by at least 1 year for every 3 years of employment.
If Klarna truly cares about their employees, they would reduce that pay increase to around 50% and use that to have several highly trained Doctors of Chiropractic on hard to treat the wo
Re: (Score:3)
I bet that if you asked the employees if they would rather have more money or free access to a quack "doctor", I know which one most of them would pick.