'Not hiring at all' | Klarna boss says the company is ditching humans due to potential of AI

Stockholm-based fintech giant Klarna has decided to freeze its hiring practice, due to a pivot towards increased reliance on artificial intelligence tools.

CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski this week expressed his confidence in the productivity gains achievable through tools like ChatGPT, stating that they can better handle tasks previously carried out by human employees.

Siemiatkowski acknowledged the potential impact of AI on jobs across the economy, emphasising the company's decision to hold back from active recruitment outside of the engineering department.

"There will be a shrinking of the company. We're not currently hiring at all, apart from engineers," he explained, as reported by the Telegraph. He added that the company does not plan layoffs but anticipates a reduction in size over time due to natural attrition.