Klarna Slows AI-Driven Job Cuts With Call for Real People (1)

Klarna Group Plc’s chief executive says his pursuit of cost-cutting in customer service, fueled by advancements in artificial intelligence, has gone too far.

To that end, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, 43, is plotting a rare recruitment drive so the buy-now-pay-later company’s customers will always have the option of speaking to a real person, in a sign the Swedish fintech’s commitment to AI has its limits.

Speaking at the company’s headquarters in Stockholm, co-founder Siemiatkowski said the firm is piloting a new cohort of employees “in an Uber type of setup” where they can log in and work remotely, with a ...