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Klarna’s AI CEO Unveiled: Earnings Delivered by Avatar

7781
23
May

Klarna, the popular buy-now-pay-later service gearing up for its IPO, is doubling down on its AI narrative. In a bold move, the company presented its latest quarterly earnings update via an AI avatar of CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski, showcased in a recent YouTube video.

While the AI presentation was subtly executed, eagle-eyed viewers might have noticed a few tell-tale signs, such as less frequent blinking and slightly imperfect voice synchronization. The avatar even sported a familiar brown jacket reminiscent of Siemiatkowski’s corporate headshot.

This innovative approach coincided with Klarna’s announcement of reaching 100 million users, attributing its fourth consecutive profitable quarter to the strategic implementation of AI. The company highlighted a significant 40% workforce reduction thanks to AI-driven efficiencies, pushing revenue per employee close to $1 million, according to their blog post.

In a statement to CNBC, Siemiatkowski clarified that Klarna’s headcount has decreased from approximately 5,000 to nearly 3,000 employees.

Klarna isn’t the first company to playfully explore the idea of AI taking over leadership roles. Artisan, an AI sales agent startup, previously released an April Fool’s video depicting the AI CEO replacing the human one.

While seemingly a joke, the notion of AI CEOs holds potential. According to a Harvard Business Review study, an AI model based on GPT-4o demonstrated the ability to outperform human CEOs in certain decision-making scenarios, leveraging vast amounts of data and business strategy analysis.

However, the study also revealed limitations. The AI CEO struggled with “black swan events,” such as market collapses during the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately leading to its virtual dismissal by the board. Despite these challenges, proponents argue that AI is still in its early stages and future iterations may overcome these limitations.

Klarna declined to provide further comments on the matter.

Topics: AI, Avatar, Fintech, Klarna

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Ngoc Vy

Ngoc Vy is a tech journalist specializing in artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and their societal impact. She combines technical rigor with on-the-ground coverage of Vietnam’s startup ecosystem, from AI ethics debates to gov-tech adoption. Ngoc Vy is also passionate about bridging the gender gap in STEM journalism.