When Klarna’s CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski admitted last week that their aggressive pivot to AI-based customer service was a mistake, it echoed across every industry chasing automation. After replacing 700 human agents with AI, Klarna found the result wasn’t innovation—it was dissatisfaction. Clients felt unheard. Complaints rose. And now, Klarna is hiring people back.
The lesson is clear: AI without empathy doesn’t scale. And in legal marketing, where trust is everything, that’s more than a tech misstep—it’s a strategic red flag.
What Went Wrong at Klarna?
Klarna’s AI chatbot, built with OpenAI’s help, was meant to slash costs and improve availability. It did both, but it also diluted the customer experience. The bot couldn’t adapt to edge cases or respond with the nuance required when money was on the line.
Klarna’s reversal was fast and public. The company is now rehiring human agents, admitting that customer service is “more than efficiency—it’s about confidence.”
Sound familiar?
What This Means for Law Firms
We’ve seen the same pattern play out in legal intake. When firms or vendors hand the front line over to AI, without the right human oversight, retention rates drop and reputations suffer. Legal decisions are personal, and a cold, robotic intake experience can turn a signed retainer into a lost opportunity.
Firms are learning the hard way that speed doesn’t matter if empathy is missing. AI can fill gaps, route leads, and score potential clients—but it can’t build trust on its own.
A Better Approach: Human-First, AI-Assisted
At Blue Sky Legal, we’ve integrated AI into our systems—not to replace people, but to make them more effective. Intake Engine uses AI to streamline workflows, detect fraud, and support agents—but every signed case comes through a process where real people stay in control.
It’s the difference between using AI as a scalpel versus a sledgehammer. And it’s why our campaigns deliver signed retainers at a targeted price range, without compromising on quality or compliance.
This Isn’t Just Klarna
Klarna isn’t alone. Companies across industries are waking up:
Wendy’s rolled out AI drive-thru bots—and got so many wrong orders that customers started posting videos mocking the system.
Starbucks paused its AI-enabled bar workflow because it slowed things down and made the in-store experience feel sterile.
Chipotle tested a chatbot for hiring and scheduling. The feedback? Candidates hated it and interviews were misaligned.
Across the board, businesses are realizing that AI might be cheap, but it’s not always better.
Final Take: Trust Wins
At Blue Sky Legal, we believe law firms should be cautious in how they deploy AI. Yes, it can drive efficiency and scale campaigns. But when it comes to intake, follow-up, and client engagement, humans still close the deal.
We’ve built our system to reflect that. If you’re a law firm looking to grow without cutting corners, let’s talk.
Because in legal marketing, like customer service, trust is the only real performance metric that matters.
