Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski warns that AI will kill jobs and set off a
recession—proper earlier than speaking to clients on an AI hotline.
Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO at Klarna (LinkedIn)
When you’ve ever fearful that synthetic intelligence (AI ) is coming for
your job, congratulations—you’ve bought one thing in frequent with Klarna CEO
Sebastian Siemiatkowski. In latest feedback, Siemiatkowski didn’t mince phrases: AI
is slashing jobs at such pace, it
would possibly simply tip the worldwide financial system right into a recession.
You would possibly count on this type of doom-laden forecast from a labor
economist or tech ethicist. However that is coming from the CEO of an organization that’s
embraced AI so enthusiastically it changed 700 customer support brokers with AI-powered
bots this February. Solely to rent them again. Not less than a few of them.
Your every day reminder that AI is gonna change your job.
On this video, Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemeatkowski explains how they use OpenAI to switch round 20% of workers with AI yearly. And that is just the start.
An hour in the past I posted the interview with OpenAI’s CFO from… pic.twitter.com/Tx8cFAFNmN
— Chubby♨️ (@kimmonismus) December 15, 2024
Errors apart, it appears Siemiatkowski sees using AI as a tidal change,
sweeping throughout industries, other than numerous positions that require handbook
abilities, ““if you happen to have a look at the manufacturing unit staff at present, lorry drivers, waiters,
cooks, salaries are going up at a reasonably good price,” he
stated.
A Productiveness Dream? Maybe Not
Let’s not fake that AI could not probably ship outcomes. Klarna claims its assistant
dealt with
two-thirds of its buyer chats in simply its first month. Siemiatkowski
says that translated into large value financial savings and higher buyer
satisfaction.
However this uptick in productiveness comes with a darker shadow: mass
layoffs. Siemiatkowski
highlighted how rapidly AI made its mark at Klarna, pointing to its position in
boosting effectivity—and famous that different CEOs are seeing the identical development unfold
in their very own corporations.
“As soon as gunning to be OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s ‘favourite guinea pig,’ Klarna is now plotting a giant recruitment drive after its AI customer support brokers could not fairly hack it.” pic.twitter.com/oTsg9ZEnM3
— Luiza Jarovsky (@LuizaJarovsky) Could 14, 2025
The sting within the story? Klarna wasn’t pleased with the outcomes of whole AI domination when it got here to buyer and needed to scrabble to re-hire.
The pivot has been quick, “We predict providing human customer support is all the time going to be a VIP factor,” he advised TechCrunch, whereas evaluating AI service to bespoke garments. “So we expect that two issues could be executed on the similar time. We will use AI to robotically take away boring jobs, issues which can be handbook work, however we’re additionally going to vow our clients to have a human connection.”
Siemiatkowski: Governments Must Wake Up
Whereas many tech CEOs are hyping up AI’s advantages, Siemiatkowski is
urging governments to brace for the fallout. His message? If we don’t act quick,
rising unemployment might tank the worldwide financial system.
Klarna’s CEO warns fast AI cuts in white-collar roles would possibly spark recession dangers. Dive into how automation is reshaping the workforce: https://t.co/x3Fd60UKnM #AI #Automation #Economic system pic.twitter.com/JEwGeUkpc0
— HR Grapevine Information (@HRGrapevine) June 11, 2025
He
urged companies, governments and broader society to get up and put together for AI‑pushed
job disruption, warning its influence on white‑collar work “often results in
at the very least a recession within the brief time period.” He went on to say, “I wish to be
sincere, I wish to be truthful, and I wish to inform what I see in order that society can
begin taking preparations.”
It’s a reasonably stark distinction from most company messaging, which tends
to concentrate on “AI empowerment” and “enhancing human potential.” Klarna’s boss is
saying: neglect the buzzwords—this might break the financial system.
From Warning Bell to AI Name Heart
Now, right here’s the place issues get darkly humorous.
After warning the world that AI is about to upend jobs and probably
collapse economies, and after reversing course on AI customer support, Siemiatkowski went and made himself the star of… watch for
it… Klarna’s AI-powered customer support hotline.
Take a look at this summarized information story 👀
Klarna’s CEO is now taking your calls — over an AI hotline https://t.co/WEjwbMvjIJ
— Information Wave (@mynewswave) June 12, 2025
The hotline permits clients to name Klarna and get a response from the
CEO—form of. Whenever you ring up, you’re greeted by a synthesized model of
Siemiatkowski’s voice, which may reply
questions, resolve points, and, we hope, crack a couple of jokes. It’s his voice,
powered by AI, dealing with your mundane buyer queries—as a result of nothing says
“human-centered management” like turning your CEO right into a chatbot.
Klarna claims that these chats might ““translate into tangible product
enhancements already the next day.”
It’s a neat PR transfer. It’s additionally peak irony.
The AI Paradox: Innovate or Disintegrate?
Klarna’s complete enterprise mannequin hinges on quick, environment friendly digital
transactions—so embracing AI makes strategic sense. However Siemiatkowski’s
warnings reveal a deeper paradox haunting each tech-forward firm: if you happen to
innovate too quick, you threat contributing to the very financial instability
you’re attempting to keep away from.
Can corporations each undertake AI and keep away from contributing to systemic
unemployment? Is it attainable to champion innovation with out gutting the
workforce? Siemiatkowski appears to be asking these questions himself—between
AI-powered buyer calls, after all.
Klarna’s CEO Is Proper—And Fallacious
So is Sebastian Siemiatkowski the tech CEO we deserve—or the one we
want? On one hand, he’s voicing issues most of his friends are too busy
pitching investor decks to handle. On the opposite, he’s diving headfirst into
the identical automation development he’s warning us about.
Within the race to dominate the way forward for fintech, Klarna is working full
throttle. But when its personal CEO is true, the price of that pace may very well be
large—and felt far past the partitions of any name middle.
Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski warns that AI will kill jobs and set off a
recession—proper earlier than speaking to clients on an AI hotline.
Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO at Klarna (LinkedIn)
When you’ve ever fearful that synthetic intelligence (AI ) is coming for
your job, congratulations—you’ve bought one thing in frequent with Klarna CEO
Sebastian Siemiatkowski. In latest feedback, Siemiatkowski didn’t mince phrases: AI
is slashing jobs at such pace, it
would possibly simply tip the worldwide financial system right into a recession.
You would possibly count on this type of doom-laden forecast from a labor
economist or tech ethicist. However that is coming from the CEO of an organization that’s
embraced AI so enthusiastically it changed 700 customer support brokers with AI-powered
bots this February. Solely to rent them again. Not less than a few of them.
Your every day reminder that AI is gonna change your job.
On this video, Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemeatkowski explains how they use OpenAI to switch round 20% of workers with AI yearly. And that is just the start.
An hour in the past I posted the interview with OpenAI’s CFO from… pic.twitter.com/Tx8cFAFNmN
— Chubby♨️ (@kimmonismus) December 15, 2024
Errors apart, it appears Siemiatkowski sees using AI as a tidal change,
sweeping throughout industries, other than numerous positions that require handbook
abilities, ““if you happen to have a look at the manufacturing unit staff at present, lorry drivers, waiters,
cooks, salaries are going up at a reasonably good price,” he
stated.
A Productiveness Dream? Maybe Not
Let’s not fake that AI could not probably ship outcomes. Klarna claims its assistant
dealt with
two-thirds of its buyer chats in simply its first month. Siemiatkowski
says that translated into large value financial savings and higher buyer
satisfaction.
However this uptick in productiveness comes with a darker shadow: mass
layoffs. Siemiatkowski
highlighted how rapidly AI made its mark at Klarna, pointing to its position in
boosting effectivity—and famous that different CEOs are seeing the identical development unfold
in their very own corporations.
“As soon as gunning to be OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s ‘favourite guinea pig,’ Klarna is now plotting a giant recruitment drive after its AI customer support brokers could not fairly hack it.” pic.twitter.com/oTsg9ZEnM3
— Luiza Jarovsky (@LuizaJarovsky) Could 14, 2025
The sting within the story? Klarna wasn’t pleased with the outcomes of whole AI domination when it got here to buyer and needed to scrabble to re-hire.
The pivot has been quick, “We predict providing human customer support is all the time going to be a VIP factor,” he advised TechCrunch, whereas evaluating AI service to bespoke garments. “So we expect that two issues could be executed on the similar time. We will use AI to robotically take away boring jobs, issues which can be handbook work, however we’re additionally going to vow our clients to have a human connection.”
Siemiatkowski: Governments Must Wake Up
Whereas many tech CEOs are hyping up AI’s advantages, Siemiatkowski is
urging governments to brace for the fallout. His message? If we don’t act quick,
rising unemployment might tank the worldwide financial system.
Klarna’s CEO warns fast AI cuts in white-collar roles would possibly spark recession dangers. Dive into how automation is reshaping the workforce: https://t.co/x3Fd60UKnM #AI #Automation #Economic system pic.twitter.com/JEwGeUkpc0
— HR Grapevine Information (@HRGrapevine) June 11, 2025
He
urged companies, governments and broader society to get up and put together for AI‑pushed
job disruption, warning its influence on white‑collar work “often results in
at the very least a recession within the brief time period.” He went on to say, “I wish to be
sincere, I wish to be truthful, and I wish to inform what I see in order that society can
begin taking preparations.”
It’s a reasonably stark distinction from most company messaging, which tends
to concentrate on “AI empowerment” and “enhancing human potential.” Klarna’s boss is
saying: neglect the buzzwords—this might break the financial system.
From Warning Bell to AI Name Heart
Now, right here’s the place issues get darkly humorous.
After warning the world that AI is about to upend jobs and probably
collapse economies, and after reversing course on AI customer support, Siemiatkowski went and made himself the star of… watch for
it… Klarna’s AI-powered customer support hotline.
Take a look at this summarized information story 👀
Klarna’s CEO is now taking your calls — over an AI hotline https://t.co/WEjwbMvjIJ
— Information Wave (@mynewswave) June 12, 2025
The hotline permits clients to name Klarna and get a response from the
CEO—form of. Whenever you ring up, you’re greeted by a synthesized model of
Siemiatkowski’s voice, which may reply
questions, resolve points, and, we hope, crack a couple of jokes. It’s his voice,
powered by AI, dealing with your mundane buyer queries—as a result of nothing says
“human-centered management” like turning your CEO right into a chatbot.
Klarna claims that these chats might ““translate into tangible product
enhancements already the next day.”
It’s a neat PR transfer. It’s additionally peak irony.
The AI Paradox: Innovate or Disintegrate?
Klarna’s complete enterprise mannequin hinges on quick, environment friendly digital
transactions—so embracing AI makes strategic sense. However Siemiatkowski’s
warnings reveal a deeper paradox haunting each tech-forward firm: if you happen to
innovate too quick, you threat contributing to the very financial instability
you’re attempting to keep away from.
Can corporations each undertake AI and keep away from contributing to systemic
unemployment? Is it attainable to champion innovation with out gutting the
workforce? Siemiatkowski appears to be asking these questions himself—between
AI-powered buyer calls, after all.
Klarna’s CEO Is Proper—And Fallacious
So is Sebastian Siemiatkowski the tech CEO we deserve—or the one we
want? On one hand, he’s voicing issues most of his friends are too busy
pitching investor decks to handle. On the opposite, he’s diving headfirst into
the identical automation development he’s warning us about.
Within the race to dominate the way forward for fintech, Klarna is working full
throttle. But when its personal CEO is true, the price of that pace may very well be
large—and felt far past the partitions of any name middle.
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