Klarna has been aggressively integrating internally developed AI systems, powered by OpenAI, into its operations. Last year, the buy now, pay later company announced this initiative, which has led to significant changes, including ending its contract with Salesforce CRM and reducing hiring.

Klarna's reliance on AI is reportedly driving efficiency, with the company on track to reach $1 million in revenue per employee, a substantial increase from $575,000 per worker the previous year, according to its recent financial reports. While Klarna asserts that most functions have become more efficient, the most significant financial impact has been the reduction in customer service costs. The company initially planned to replace nearly 700 full-time customer service contractors with AI chatbots, but recently reintroduced the option for customers to speak with human agents.

In March, the Swedish company filed paperwork for a U.S. IPO, which was later postponed due to stock market volatility triggered by President Trump’s tariff announcement. Despite a 13% revenue increase to $701 million in Q1 2025, Klarna has not provided a timeline for resuming its IPO plans.