Klarna is making significant changes to its technology partnerships as part of a broader generative AI strategy. The company has announced the termination of its partnerships with Salesforce and Workday, two major software as a service (SaaS) providers. CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski revealed during an earnings call that these moves are aimed at consolidating Klarna's technology stack and enhancing operational efficiency. The decision reflects Klarna's ongoing efforts to streamline its infrastructure by leveraging AI to standardize and simplify processes. Earlier this year, Klarna launched an AI-powered customer service assistant, developed in collaboration with OpenAI, which automated the work of around 700 customer service agents. This shift has also led to workforce reductions, with the company cutting its staff from 5,000 to approximately 3,800, with plans to further reduce this number to around 2,000. Despite these changes, Klarna's revenue grew by 27% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2024.
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