This case is developed from secondary sources, including annual reports, social media outlets, company websites and news published in reputable outlets such as The Times of India. To meet the objectives of this case, the authors have used qualitative analysis of secondary data. In the next phase, the authors have mapped the data with the research objectives.
In May 2025, the CEO of Klarna Group Plc, a Swedish Fintech company, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, aimed to cut costs and improve efficiency by automating customer services. This move seemed productive, but the uproar of customer complaints significantly impacted the brand image and the customer experience. The lack of human empathy in the robotic customer service irked the customers. As a reversal mechanism, Sebastian called humans back, employed them as gig workers; therefore, Klarna must strategise the value proposition of “human-AI” collaboration.
This case is suited for advanced final-year undergraduate and postgraduate (MBA/Master’s) students studying Strategic Management or Business Policy, AI and Analytics or Digital Transformation, Human Resource Management or Future of Work and Services Marketing or Customer Experience Management. It is best placed in the middle to end of the course, when students are already familiar with the principles of HRM and employment models, including standard and gig work, as well as basic strategy concepts like trade-offs, competitive advantage and stakeholder perspectives, as well as introductory AI and automation concepts in services. The example is especially well-suited for courses on human–AI cooperation and co-value creation, automation methods and the ethical implications of AI and service innovation and customer experience in Fintech.
