Klarna and major tech firms deploy enterprise AI agents to cut costs and boost productivity

Swedish payments provider Klarna reported that its new AI assistant has automated 2.3 million customer queries, reducing handling time and saving roughly €40 million. The system goes beyond simple chatbots, performing actions such as retrieving information, triggering processes and validating results, prompting companies to address compliance under the EU AI Act.

At the same time, leading technology firms unveiled a wave of persistent, task‑oriented AI assistants. OpenAI expanded its Codex platform with role‑specific extensions covering sales, design, data analysis and finance. Zoom introduced ZoomMate, which leverages meeting context to operate in third‑party tools, while Microsoft launched Scout for Microsoft 365 and announced Work IQ APIs for broader integration. Snowflake presented the CoWork suite and Cisco added Webex AI agents for meeting preparation and translation. The roll‑out reflects a broader shift toward autonomous AI agents in enterprise workflows, raising both efficiency gains and regulatory considerations.