SwedenFinance and insurance2024–2025

Klarna

AI customer service assistant

AI assistant took on two thirds of chats, then Klarna hired human agents again

Scaled backCompany's own claimOfficial ↗

Problem

Klarna, a Swedish buy-now-pay-later company, handled a large volume of customer chats about refunds, returns and payments. It wanted to absorb that volume without adding customer service staff.

Approach

In early 2024 Klarna put an AI assistant built on OpenAI models into its customer service chat in 23 markets and more than 35 languages. Customers could still ask for a human agent. The company froze hiring and let headcount fall through attrition. In May 2025 its chief executive said the company would again recruit human agents so that customers could always reach a person.

Results

2/3share of customer service chats handled by the assistant in its first month (2.3 million conversations)Company's own claim[1]

11 → <2 minaverage time for customers to resolve an errand, before and after the assistantCompany's own claim[1]

700full-time agents whose workload the assistant matched, by the company's estimateCompany's own claim[1][2]

-25%repeat inquiries after the launchCompany's own claim[1]

Takeaway

The launch figures measured volume, speed and cost. A year later the chief executive said cost had weighed too heavily and quality had suffered, and the company moved to a model in which AI and human agents work side by side.

Sources

Klarna AI assistant handles two-thirds of customer service chats in its first month
Klarna27 Feb 2024Company publication
Klarna Is Hiring Customer Service Agents After AI Couldn't Cut It on Calls, According to the Company's CEO
Entrepreneur9 May 2025News article

Source summaries

[1]Klarna27 Feb 2024

Klarna reports that its OpenAI-powered assistant held 2.3 million conversations in its first month, two thirds of all customer service chats. The company says the assistant did the work of 700 full-time agents, matched human agents on customer satisfaction, cut resolution time from 11 minutes to under 2 and reduced repeat inquiries by 25%. It also estimates a $40 million profit improvement for 2024.

[2]Entrepreneur9 May 2025

Entrepreneur, citing chief executive Sebastian Siemiatkowski's interview with Bloomberg, reports that Klarna ended its AI-driven hiring freeze and began recruiting remote customer service staff. It says the AI was cheaper than people but produced "lower quality" service, and quotes the CEO saying there will always be a human if a customer wants one. It also notes that headcount had fallen 22% to about 3,500, mostly through attrition.

Full details are in the original sources.

Added 25 Oct 2026 · Updated 25 Oct 2026