Klarna, the Swedish payments company, has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to job cuts and a recession. According to its CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, AI will increasingly replace white-collar jobs, which he believes usually leads to at least a recession in the short term.
Siemiatkowski stated this during an interview on The Times Tech podcast, citing his experience with AI-powered customer service at Klarna. The company’s AI assistant has already been capable of doing the work of 700 full-time customer service agents, and Siemiatkowski believes that AI will continue to replace human jobs.
However, Siemiatkowski has also acknowledged that there is a silver lining: AI can bring about more efficient work and better job prospects. He emphasized the importance of humans focusing on high-level tasks such as user interaction design, delegation, and review.
Siemiatkowski’s warning comes as top leaders in the AI industry have sounded the alarm about the potential impact of AI on jobs. Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei recently stated that AI may eliminate 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs within the next five years.
As the tech industry continues to evolve, it is essential for companies and individuals to be aware of the potential consequences of AI and to prepare accordingly.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/klarna-ceo-ai-may-cause-recession-white-collar-jobs-threat-2025-6