Oh Klarna, Klarna, Klarna.
There are so many people shouting about “AI is the answer!” that they’re not really understanding what the question is.
This always – always – happens.
Whenever there’s a new shiny shiny thing available, we can become magpies and hop on the trend without understanding what we’re trying to achieve or solve.
The FOMO hijacks our rationality.
🐝 In the 90s, it was “we need a website”
🐝 In the 00s, it was “we need voice recognition IVRs”
🐝 In the 10s, it was “we need an app”
Today, it’s “we need AI”.
What was the 90s website for? What was it’s purpose?
An online catalogue? A single page with animated GIF telling you to call?
Only when we became more purposeful and thought about how a website site could help with what we’re trying to achieve or solve did the tech enable such a step-change in use.
AI is no different.
To borrow from the philosopher Dr Ian Malcolm, “You were so preoccupied with whether or not you could, you didn’t stop to think if you should.”
Yes, we could use AI.
Klarna have.
But without the understanding of whether we should use it and for what purpose, this is going to be a year of buyer’s regret.
Not only a regret at investing in tech that answers a question we didn’t ask, but that it also moved investment away from people.
And the bottom line is: AI or no AI, every business is still a people business.
And that isn’t changing. Ever.
