Registry/APM-0070
Case No.
APM-0070
Subject
OpenAI
Filed
July 29, 2026
Severity
3 / 5 · MODERATE

Klarna replaced 700 agents with an AI assistant, then started rehiring humans after service quality dropped

Attribution Anonymous

Independent project · aggregated from public reports and may be unverified — see the primary source below · not affiliated with or endorsed by any company or product named.

Klarna said in 2024 that its OpenAI-powered assistant did the work of 700 customer-service agents. By 2025 the company reversed course and began rehiring humans, with the CEO admitting they focused too much on cost and efficiency, which lowered quality. Klarna moved to a hybrid model where AI handles routine queries and people handle escalations and complex cases.

Verified Facts

  • Klarna said its AI assistant did the work of 700 agents in 2024
  • By 2025 it began rehiring human customer-service staff
  • The CEO said over-focusing on efficiency lowered service quality

Not Publicly Confirmed

  • The measured drop in customer satisfaction

Operational Lessons

  • Full AI replacement of frontline support can cost more in quality than it saves
  • Hybrid AI-plus-human with clear escalation beats all-or-nothing automation
Klarna Is Hiring Customer Service Agents After AI Couldn't Cut It, CEO Says (Entrepreneur)entrepreneur.com
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