AI CEO at Klarna surprises the market by replacing a human in the quarterly results presentation.

Klarna, the Swedish fintech best known for its “buy now, pay later” model —raised eyebrows by appointing an AI CEO to present its quarterly earnings. That’s right: no deepfake, no parody—this was a calculated strategy. The company used a digital avatar of founder Sebastian Siemiatkowski, generated by artificial intelligence, to share its latest financial results and strengthen its core message: Klarna is now an AI-driven company.

You can watch the video here:

But what is Klarna, anyway?

Klarna is one of Europe’s largest fintechs. Founded in 2005, it rose to fame offering the “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) model, which allows customers to shop online and pay days or even weeks later, interest-free. The idea gained traction, especially in the U.S. and European markets, pushing Klarna’s valuation to over $45 billion at its peak.

But times have changed. With waning enthusiasm for fintechs, Klarna lost market value, cut costs, and is now betting on artificial intelligence as a new growth engine. The company is currently preparing to go public in the U.S., hoping to show investors it has reinvented itself.

The AI presentation: innovation or performance?

In the video published by the company, a highly realistic avatar resembling the human CEO delivers the financial update. The AI wears a jacket similar to the one in Sebastian Siemiatkowski’s official photo and speaks with a tone that borders on natural. The only signs that it’s a simulation are subtle: a slightly robotic voice and fewer blinks than a typical human.

Unlike other companies that have mocked the idea—like Artisan, which jokingly fired its own CEO in favor of AI—Klarna treated this moment seriously. The video was professionally promoted, and the company made it clear: this is another step in deeply integrating AI into its operations.

Is AI replacing the CEO?

Not yet—but the conversation has begun. The use of the avatar underscores Klarna’s commitment to artificial intelligence. According to Siemiatkowski (the real one), the company has cut its workforce from around 5,000 to nearly 3,000 thanks to more efficient, AI-driven processes. Revenue per employee now approaches $1 million.

In other words, the avatar isn’t just a gimmick. It’s a symbol of Klarna’s new identity: leaner, automated, and data-driven.

The CEO of the future might not be human

The core tasks of a CEO—defining strategies, making decisions, and assuming responsibility—don’t necessarily require a physical body. A Harvard Business Review study showed that in simulations powered by GPT-4o, AI systems made better strategic decisions than human CEOs in most scenarios.

The exception? Unpredictable events like pandemics or financial crashes. In those cases, human sensitivity and intuition still shine. But researchers noted: these are the first generations of AI. And they’re learning fast.

Final thoughts – Would you accept a digital CEO?

If an AI can analyze massive datasets, make more rational decisions, and communicate results clearly, why couldn’t it run a company? Maybe the barrier isn’t technological—but psychological. After all, does someone really need to blink to be convincing?

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