Klarna is looking to re-hire human marketers and customer service reps two years after replacing them with AI. 

The company cancelled its marketing contracts in 2023 and axed the customer service team in 2024, replacing it with AI agents.

At the time, CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski said, “AI can already do all of the jobs that we, as humans, do.”

The fintech company said it saved $10 million on marketing costs by using AI for translation, art production and data analysis. It also claimed AI could do the work of 700 full-time customer service agents.

Then reality set in. Siemiatkowski told Bloomberg, “Cost unfortunately seems to have been a too predominant evaluation factor when organizing this, what you end up having is lower quality.”

Here’s this week’s AI-powered martech releases and news:

May 15, 2025

• Skai released Celeste AI, a generative AI agent built for commerce marketers, and tools that integrate retail and media functions. The Strategic Digital Shelf feature provides real-time data on product availability, search rankings, reviews, and competitor activity. Retail Insights connects media performance with retail metrics such as inventory levels, traffic and repeat purchases. Content Optimization uses AI to identify gaps, suggest keywords, and automate listing updates. Retail Operations applies automation and ticketing to detect and correct catalog issues. Revenue Recovery identifies lost revenue from chargebacks and invoice errors and supports recovery across retail channels.
• Revenue Analytics introduced Aida, an AI-based tool for pricing and closing advertising deals. Aida uses historical data and current market trends to recommend customized pricing strategies. It provides sales teams with predictive insights during negotiations and displays real-time data such as average unit rates, pacing, sellout rates and pricing models. The tool includes a visual scoring system to assess deal status and compliance. Users can ask pricing-related questions and receive data-based answers from the assistant.
• Corsearch released Zeal 2.0, a platform designed to address online brand abuse and counterfeiting. The system shifts focus from takedown quantity to measuring outcomes related to brand protection. Zeal 2.0 provides brands with visibility into the health of their online channels and includes tools to identify and address threats across platforms. The platform applies AI to detect risks and execute real-time mitigation strategies.
• Group RFZ introduced Content Lens, a tool that measures the performance of individual influencer posts within a campaign. It isolates the contribution of each creator and piece of content, providing data that can be used to assess campaign effectiveness and understand audience response.
• StarCompliance released an AI-Assisted Marketing Compliance Review system designed to identify regulatory risks in marketing materials. It scans promotional content for compliance issues, suggests disclosures from a predefined library, supports multiple file formats, routes submissions based on regulatory needs, enables in-platform collaboration and maintains an auditable record of revisions.
• Endlss launched Endlss Copilot, a platform for managing influencer marketing workflows. To reduce manual coordination, it supports the full campaign process, including influencer discovery, outreach, product fulfillment, tracking and reporting.
• Demandbase introduced Agentbase, a suite of AI agents developed with AWS to streamline go-to-market operations. Initial tools include a Filter Agent and an Action Agent, translating data and workflows into user-facing interfaces for faster decision-making.
• Perion Network acquired Greenbids, an AI platform that builds custom optimization algorithms for advertising campaigns. It works across platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and major demand-side platforms, including Google DV360 and The Trade Desk.
• Captiv8 partnered with Perplexity to integrate AI features into its influencer marketing platform. The updates include creator vetting through data analysis, natural language queries for campaign insights, and content risk assessments based on live web data.
• Siteimprove released the SEO Intelligence Suite, a unified platform for enterprise SEO. It includes modules for technical SEO auditing, keyword performance monitoring, AI-generated content briefs, and integrated insights across organic and paid search strategies.
• FOX Advertising launched OneFOX, a media platform powered by AdRise. It uses AI to analyze behavioral, contextual, and campaign data to tailor ad placements and reporting.
• Upscale AI introduced Upscale Studio, a tool for ecommerce brands to produce streaming-ready video ads from existing assets. It supports campaign launches through real-time bidding across connected TV platforms and includes performance tracking and optimization tools.
• Optimove introduced Optimove Engage, a platform that uses AI to generate, manage, and adjust marketing content across multiple channels. It includes message analysis tools, content creation capabilities aligned with brand requirements and a centralized interface for content delivery.
• 10Web launched the AI Website Builder API, which enables developers to create hosted WordPress websites through text-based prompts. It produces sites that are fully customizable and hosted on WordPress infrastructure.
• Freepik released Freepik Enterprise, a subscription service for businesses that allows them to access its AI tools for creating and editing images, videos and other media. It provides unlimited access across large teams and centralized controls for asset and account management.
• CallRail introduced new messaging and mobile features to improve response times and lead engagement, including click-to-text functionality, mobile dashboards for call analytics, AI-generated call summaries and follow-up texts based on prior interactions.
• VelocityEngine launched a go-to-market platform that converts internal company information into structured campaign strategies. It ingests data such as marketing documents and sales materials, then generates personas, messaging and content briefs to support campaign execution.
• Gong partnered with Microsoft to integrate its revenue intelligence platform with Microsoft 365 applications. The integration brings Gong’s customer interaction data into tools like Teams and Outlook and supports the creation of AI agents that automate workflows using Gong data.
• Zoho expanded its customer experience platform with new AI functions powered by its engine, Zia. Features include text-based report and workflow creation, no-code customization tools and image-to-design capabilities, all managed through an agent-based system.
• Jasper launched Audiences, an expansion of its AI layer Jasper IQ. Combined with brand voice features, Audiences organizes messaging for different customer segments and supports campaign creation across enterprise-scale operations.
• Infobip expanded its integration with Oracle, allowing access to its communication services through Oracle Integration. This makes it possible to incorporate omnichannel messaging into existing Oracle-based workflows.
• Data Axle released ProfileFuse, a dataset linking business and consumer profiles. It provides multiple activation options and aims to extend customer reach by combining previously separate data sources.
• Pega introduced Predictable AI Agents, a suite of tools for managing AI across enterprise workflows. The agents include modules for workflow design, customer interaction, automation, data analysis, and task support. Each module is designed to operate under defined governance parameters through the Pega Blueprint framework.
• Sooth launched Eli, an AI system that analyzes emotional and behavioral data. It models decision triggers using a dataset spanning 300 million individuals and delivers evaluations of content, audience segments, and media strategies based on predictive models.
• Aarki introduced Encore, a machine learning platform focused on mobile marketing. It builds audience segments using various data sources, supports campaign strategies for user acquisition and retention, updates models in real time, and includes features compatible with SKAN 4.
• Lightricks released the LTXV-13B video generation model. This AI tool produces high-fidelity video prototypes at scale, designed for marketers and creatives to iterate on visual content without requiring advanced computing hardware.

May 8, 2025

• Optimizely released an updated version of Opal. It includes a redesigned user interface, a persistent Chat feature across products and a new Instructions interface for managing agents. Users can access a pre-built tool library for tasks like webpage analysis, presentation creation and keyword research. The platform also includes specialized agents for marketing tasks and agent workflows that coordinate multiple agents either in sequence or concurrently.
• PubMatic launched an updated buyer platform powered by generative AI. The platform streamlines the media buying process through audience and inventory discovery, forecasting, curation, activation and performance optimization. It integrates direct SSP access with AI-based buying tools, providing buyers with detailed visibility into supply paths.
• BlueConic introduced two new generative AI features to its customer data platform. These enhancements focus on the personalization and modeling components, aiming to improve the execution of marketing strategies using real-time data analysis and automated decision-making.
• StackAdapt released new email marketing and Data Hub solutions in its advertising platform. Users can manage and activate campaigns across formats including display, native, video, CTV, DOOH, in-game, audio and email, using a single integrated workflow.
• Algolia launched Smart Groups, which let merchandisers and content managers control product and content presentation in search and category pages. The tool blends manual configuration with automated ranking and does not require developer support.
• Anura Solutions and InsurAds have partnered to integrate Anura’s fraud detection tools into InsurAds’ ad insurance offering. Advertisers will receive additional safeguards alongside InsurAds’ Marketing Assurance Warrant, which ensures ads reach real users in brand-safe environments.
• MarketTrends AI launched a market intelligence platform designed for small and mid-sized businesses. The platform includes an AI agent that monitors market trends, competitor activity and customer behavior, delivering monthly reports with proprietary indices covering demand, labor costs and raw materials.
• BuyerTwin introduced a platform that creates AI-based simulations of target buyer personas. These interactive “twins” provide real-time feedback on messaging, website usability and product positioning, helping teams evaluate their strategies as if speaking to their intended audience.
• BrandRank.AI launched a platform for monitoring brand presence across AI search engines and language models. It evaluates visibility, identifies content risks and suggests improvements. Features include composite scoring, visibility benchmarking and forthcoming vulnerability metrics.
• Eventdex unveiled an AI assistant built into its event management app. The assistant provides voice and chat-based support to event attendees by answering questions about schedules, sessions, booth locations and venue navigation.
• MessageGears announced updates to its marketing platform, adding capabilities for segmentation, workflow design and data security. New features include quicker audience segmentation, campaign component previews, version control for dynamic content and restricted data preview access for enhanced control.
• Textellent introduced a two-way integration with ActiveCampaign. The feature enables automatic contact synchronization between platforms and logs all SMS activity from Textellent as notes within ActiveCampaign.
• Omneky launched Campaign Launcher, a tool that lets marketers create and deploy ads across platforms like Meta, Google and TikTok directly from the Omneky dashboard. Features include AI-generated campaign setup, collaborative creative review and single-dashboard omnichannel deployment.
• EmailAnalytics released a Sentiment Analysis feature that evaluates the emotional tone of email communications. The tool scores both incoming and outgoing messages, offering insights into customer sentiment and team communication patterns.
• CallMiner updated its AI Assist platform, expanding its agentic AI framework. New Research agents use natural language queries entered through a simplified interface to conduct analysis and return findings from customer interaction data. A Review function lets users select specific interactions for deeper evaluation within the platform. Supervisor agents coordinate tasks among other agents, perform data analysis based on previous interactions, generate reports, and highlight trends or potential risks identified in customer conversations.
• Captiv8 partnered with Perplexity to integrate AI-driven features into its influencer marketing platform. The integration uses Perplexity’s Sonar models to support campaign planning, execution, and reporting. These AI tools are embedded within Captiv8’s interface and are designed to automate research and analysis tasks throughout campaign workflows.
• Talkdesk launched Talkdesk Express, a customer service solution designed for small businesses. Features include a natural language routing tool that interprets customer queries and prioritizes them for routing (Navigator), a real-time assistant that supplies agents with relevant information and handles post-call summaries (Copilot), a self-service option for handling routine inquiries outside business hours (After Hours and Autopilot), and a voice biometric system that automates caller authentication (Identity).
• Meltwater released new AI-driven features, including Mira, a chat-based assistant that performs media monitoring and analysis tasks. Mira interacts through a conversational interface and can handle functions such as compiling news briefings, tracking brand mentions, and monitoring competitor activity. These features aim to simplify repetitive tasks by combining general-purpose AI with domain-specific data.

May 1, 2025

• Amperity’s Identity Resolution Agent unifies customer data using AI-driven data preparation and identity matching. It applies both deterministic and probabilistic techniques based on specific business use cases and includes a QA interface that makes data connections transparent. The system integrates with platforms such as Databricks and Snowflake and includes a sandbox environment for safely testing new data sources.
• Sendbird’s Omnipresent AI Agent connects customer service across multiple channels, including web, mobile, SMS, email, and voice. It maintains conversation continuity and uses contextual memory to respond based on previous interactions, aiming to address issues before they escalate.
• Lionfish Tech Advisors’ Aquarium is a market intelligence platform that combines large language models with input from its advisory team. The system focuses on cybersecurity sectors, including XDR and cloud security, offering users data-driven insights and contextual analysis based on sector-specific expertise.
• Cadent’s The Cadent Platform is a system for managing advertising across channels. It incorporates predictive modeling to forecast campaign outcomes, activates media based on those forecasts, and adjusts performance in real time during execution.
• MediaViz AI updated its multimedia analytics platform designed for high-volume image processing. It supports perceptual analysis modeled on human vision, can process up to 60,000 images per hour per AI node, and includes tools to detect and flag near-duplicate images in datasets of up to one million files.
• Feroot Security’s AlphaPrivacy AI automates privacy compliance for web applications. It uses AI to identify and manage privacy risks in code and user-facing interfaces across enterprise websites.
• EnRoute Growth Platform’s SEO Boost+ is a suite designed for SMBs that includes automated content creation, optimization of Google Business Profiles, local citation management, backlink tracking, and reputation monitoring. It is structured to support visibility in both search engines and AI-driven discovery tools.
• Intent IQ’s Bid Enhancement solution is available on Google Cloud Marketplace. The tool includes identity matching features for cookieless environments, real-time ID synchronization between ad platforms, and a proprietary engine that supports multiple browsers. A UI dashboard provides performance tracking, supply path optimization, and A/B testing.
• Swapcard’s AI-Recommended Leads for event exhibitors ranks attendee engagement. It scores participants based on their interactions with brand assets and content, giving exhibitors a way to identify attendees who are more likely to be interested in further engagement.
• IntelePeer’s new voice capabilities for its conversational AI platform include automatic speech recognition and text-to-speech streaming. It is designed to integrate into communication workflows, support real-time interactions, and enable customization of speech processing.
• Puntt AI, which provides AI compliance agents to market, launched. Puntt AI’s autonomous agents review creative, product, and legal content in real time, using internal guidelines, case law and global regulations.

April 24, 2025

• Wix.com launched an AI-powered adaptive content application that personalizes website experiences. The application generates dynamic content based on visitor characteristics and instructions. It uses session details from the website to create new content according to predefined criteria and user instructions, to increase engagement and improve user experience.
• Tagboard launched Spark AI, designed for content and commerce teams to deliver shoppable moments during live broadcasts and events. This AI-powered system supports interactive graphics for sports, news, and entertainment storytelling.
• Duda launched an AI-powered Content Collection solution. The tool gathers business information and site assets and makes them immediately accessible within Duda’s website editor. These assets can be used with pre-built templates or for AI-generated websites.
• NLX launched Touchpoint, a multimodal conversational interface that incorporates chat, voice, images, and video into a single AI-powered experience for end users. This out-of-the-box solution enables NLX customers to create comprehensive conversational experiences.
• Sitecore launched the Sitecore AI Innovation Lab, created in collaboration with Microsoft. This program provides an environment for marketing leaders to explore AI-driven solutions for content operations. The lab guides marketers in defining their AI approach and accelerates the development of solutions tailored to specific use cases.
• Photoroom launched three new AI-powered tools: Product Beautifier enhances lighting, pose, and angles to create studio-quality product visuals; Product Staging analyzes products and generates context-rich scenes with props and backgrounds; and Virtual Model renders clothing and accessories on a curated library of virtual models, showing draping and fit on different body types and styles. These tools use OpenAI’s gpt-image-1 technology.
• MACH Alliance unveiled the MACH AI Exchange, a professional peer network focused on guiding AI implementation for enterprise companies. The program will launch at The Composable Conference 2025, taking place April 22-24 in Chicago.
• Compass Marketing Intelligence is an accelerator solution that connects businesses with their Google Marketing Platform data within Google Cloud Platform. The turnkey solution integrates with Conversational AI powered by Gemini, centralizing, visualizing, and activating GMP data in minutes to transform marketing decision-making.
• Podcastle launched a new hub of AI Voices powered by their proprietary voice generation model Asyncflow v1.0. Users can select from 500 AI voices and clone unlimited custom voices to create audio content at scale. The system produces lifelike voices without high costs.
• Hippo Video converts text, documents, and ideas into videos with AI-generated avatars. It works through three components: a Creation Agent that transforms content into videos with scripts and voiceovers in multiple languages, a Campaign Agent that distributes personalized videos with interactive elements such as clickable calls-to-action and polls, and a Video Co-Pilot that creates digital representations of team members to deliver content and respond to questions in real time.
• Ajelix launched AI Data Analyst, a conversational tool for data analysis. Users upload data and enter questions in natural language to receive analysis results and visualizations. The product targets small and medium-sized businesses that do not have dedicated data analysis departments.

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About the author

Constantine von Hoffman is managing editor of MarTech. A veteran journalist, Con has covered business, finance, marketing and tech for CBSNews.com, Brandweek, CMO, and Inc. He has been city editor of the Boston Herald, news producer at NPR, and has written for Harvard Business Review, Boston Magazine, Sierra, and many other publications. He has also been a professional stand-up comedian, given talks at anime and gaming conventions on everything from My Neighbor Totoro to the history of dice and boardgames, and is author of the magical realist novel John Henry the Revelator. He lives in Boston with his wife, Jennifer, and either too many or too few dogs.

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