Klarna\u2019s CEO\u00a0has warned that software engineers risk being left behind in the AI era \u2014 unless they\u2019re also business-savvy.<\/p>\n
Speaking at SXSW London, Sebastian Siemiatkowski said the talent \u201cwho have really accelerated their careers at Klarna\u201d are \u201cbusiness people who have learned to code.\u201d The reason? \u201cThey can take their business understanding and turn it into deterministic or probabilistic statements with AI.\u201d<\/p>\n
This shift, he warned, poses a threat to engineers. \u201cA lot of them have allowed themselves to be isolated with technical challenges only, and not been that interested in what the business actually does,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
His message to them was blunt: \u201cEngineers really need to step up and make sure they understand the business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Siemiatkowski\u2019s comments add another layer to Klarna\u2019s controversial AI transformation. In December 2023, he said advances in the field had led the buy-now-pay-later firm to freeze hiring for all roles \u2014 except engineers. A year later,<\/span> he had an update:\u00a0the company had stopped bringing on new staff entirely. <\/span><\/p>\n Open job listings, however, told a different story. Klarna also recently launched a new recruitment drive to ensure customers can always speak to a human.<\/span><\/p>\n The apparent contradiction has drawn criticism, but the company is doubling down on automation.<\/p>\n Last year, Klarna announced that its OpenAI-powered assistant was doing the work of 700 full-time customer service agents. It also used an AI-generated version of Siemiatkowski to present its financial update \u2014 suggesting even CEOs could be automated.<\/p>\n The 43-year-old recently claimed that AI can already do \u201call of the jobs\u201d that humans can do. At SXSW London, he stressed the need to be upfront about the risks.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to be one of the tech CEOs that are like no worries everything will be fine, because I do think there will be major implications for white collar jobs and so I want to be honest about it,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite the gloom, Siemiatkowski still sees big opportunities for people who blend business acumen with technical skills.<\/p>\n \u201cThat category of people will become even more valuable going forward,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Big names from both AI and fintech will be speaking at TNW Conference on June 19-20 in Amsterdam.<\/em> Want to join them? Well, we have a special offer for you \u2014 use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 at the\u00a0<\/span>ticket checkout\u00a0<\/span>to get 30% off.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \n Published