Meet the new AI CEO: Klarna's bold customer feedback loop bet

Klarna is experimenting with one of the more uncommon uses of generative AI we’ve seen in product as of late: letting customers speak directly to an AI-powered version of its CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski.

The new feature allows customers to call a dedicated phone line and speak to the AI CEO to share feedback, ideas, or frustrations. The conversations are transcribed and sent directly to Klarna’s product teams.

The AI is built on Siemiatkowski’s real voice and leadership approach, effectively turning the CEO into a 24/7 feedback conduit. It’s live now in Sweden and the US.

“No forms. No surveys. Just honest conversations,” Klarna said in the announcement.

Time will tell how users react to this new feature. Some are curious about users’ willingness to be open, while others find it interesting how this move uses a familiar human voice into an AI-powered tool, contrasting with more common customer-to-AI communication methods like web-based AI support agents.

This follows an industry trend of many companies looking to build AI agents into their products. The AI agents market is estimated at $7.38 billion and is expected to grow at an annual growth rate of 44.8%, which could reach $47.1 billion by 2030.

A product-first take on AI

For Klarna’s product teams, the AI CEO experiment is all about increasing the quantity of feedback. Open-ended voice input could give Klarna a faster way to gather regular feedback from its customers.

At a time when many product teams are finding ways to best use AI, Klarna’s move could encourage more product teams to rethink the way customers share feedback with them.

From AI-first to human-first

Since Klarna ditched its ‘AI-first’ strategy earlier this year, it has resumed hiring—this time with a focus on remote, flexible work that can attract a more diverse support workforce, including students and people in underserved regions. The company now says it's aiming for a more balanced approach: combining scalable AI tools with the nuance and empathy of humans.

Klarna’s AI rethink also comes as the company postpones its planned US IPO to late 2025, noting market volatility and fresh trade tensions.