Klarna, the renowned Swedish payments group, has unveiled an innovative AI-driven shopping feature, integrated with technology from OpenAI.
This new shopping lens allows users to make purchases swiftly by simply taking a photo of desired products, instantly making them available for purchase within Klarna’s mobile app.
With the in-app camera feature, the shopping lens can visually identify over 10 million items — and match these with over 50 million store offers in Klarna’s search and compare tool, enabling shoppers to learn more, and compare prices, retailers and reviews, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO and Co-founder of Klarna, said.
Shoppers will also be shown similar items that match the style of the pictured product, sparking even more inspiration for products they may have never known existed. The shopping lens is available to consumers in the US, UK, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
Numerous startups, including Klarna, are actively integrating AI capabilities into their product portfolios in order to enhance customer experience.
Klarna’s Chief Marketing Officer David Sandstrom emphasized that Klarna’s AI system strictly refrains from displaying images of individuals’ faces or bodies. Drawing a comparison with Google’s Lens tool, which also offers search features incorporating images and text, Sandstrom highlighted Klarna’s lens being purposefully tailored for shopping purposes, ensuring users capture images only of products they intend to purchase.
Klarna, formerly recognized as Europe’s leading startup, specializes in facilitating online purchases through merchant partnerships, allowing flexible payment options via its “buy now, pay later” service. Despite a recent dip in valuation, the company announced profitability on a monthly basis ahead of the projected target in August, showcasing resilience and ongoing innovation in the fintech sector.
