In 2023, Klarna replaced 700 full-time Staff with AI-driven Chatbots. 2 years later, Klarna says it’s longing for human connection again.

What changed?

According to Forbes, companies like Klarna, UPS, Duolingo, Intuit, and Cisco replaced laid-off workers with AI and automation. Klarna’s CEO in 2023 said AI assistants manage the workload equivalent to 700 full-time staffers and AI-driven chatbots and automated systems can perform tasks once managed by human agents, such as answering customer queries and processing refunds.

Two years after this shift, in an article published by The Economic Times and Futurism, Klarna’s CEO admitted that the quality of AI’s work did not meet expectations and longed for human connection again. In his words: “Cost unfortunately seems to have been a too predominant evaluation factor… what you end up having is lower quality.”

So, does this mean machine efficiency still falls short of human excellence? Can AI really replace human interactions? How will a company track leads or follow up effectively? Who manages complex queries beyond a chatbot’s script?

There is no doubt that AI has simplified many tasks through automation and analysis. The truth is, no matter how mundane a job may seem, machines cannot truly replace human abilities.

What are your thoughts about AI taking over jobs from humans? As an entrepreneur, are there roles you no longer or may not hire for because AI can do them?

I’d love to hear from you!