Klarna CEO says they’ve stopped hiring because AI 'can already do all of the jobs' humans do
Topics: Business, Technology, News
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/James D. Morgan/Getty Images/NurPhoto
Topics: Business, Technology, News
Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski has said the company has stopped hiring because AI 'can already do all of the jobs' humans can do.
The rise of artificial intelligence is an exciting one, but many have become worried over recent months that its increased presence may push them out of a job.
And such a move may not be as far away as we all think, as Klarna stopped hiring a year ago despite them advertising jobs online, as per Business Insider.
Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg TV, Siemiatkowski said he believes 'AI can already do all of the jobs that we as humans do'.
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"It's just a question of how we apply it and use it," he added.
The CEO then spoke about the hiring methods Klarna has adopted over the past 12 months, and it seems fairly different to other companies in the same sector.
"I think what we've done internally hasn't been reported as widely. We stopped hiring about a year ago, so we were 4,500 and now we're 3,500," he said.
"We have a natural attrition as every tech company. People stay about five years, so 20% leave every year. By not hiring, we're simply shrinking, right?"
Siemiatkowski touched on what he hopes will be a bright future for Klarna, the service that offers shoppers a 'buy now, pay later' option on various different projects.
He described the credit card sector as a 'trillion dollar market opportunity', with Siemiatkowski stating Klarna are a 'tiny piece of that'.
Last year, Elon Musk spoke about the 'uncomfortable' truth surrounding AI in a conversation with then UK prime minster Rishi Sunak.
The Twitter owner warned there would be a time where 'no job is needed', though he did add that people could work 'for personal satisfaction if they wished'.
"You can have a job if you want to for personal satisfaction, AI can do everything," Musk said.
"I don't know if that makes people comfortable or uncomfortable. It's both good and bad.
"One of the challenges in future will be how do we find meaning in life. We won't have universal basic income but universal high income. It'll be good for education - it'll be the best tutor."
Musk did, however, suggest that AI robots could actually become our friends in the future rather than foes.
"An AI with memory could know you better than you know yourself – you could actually have a great friend," the billionaire said.