Bank in Australia brings employees back after AI expulsion
A bank in Australia put 45 employees on the street in favor of a chatbot. Public pressure and poor results have now led to a rethink.
Sitz der Commonwealth Bank in Sydney, Australien
(Image: Commonwealth Bank)
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) has reversed a controversial decision to replace 45 customer service jobs with AI technology. The financial institution admitted to the publication Information Age that the "initial assessment that the 45 positions in the Customer Service Direct business were not necessary did not adequately take into account all relevant business considerations".
The bank is not the first company to reverse the replacement of human workers with artificial intelligence.
Union pressure is having an effect
In Australia, however, the insight is mainly due to the social pressure that arose after the announcement. The Finance Sector Union (FSU) celebrated the rethink as a success. The union accuses the bank of trying to package job cuts as innovation. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg, and it is expected that other companies will try to reduce staff with AI. The CBA employees affected can now choose between three options: Continuation in their current position, internal transfer, or accepting the severance package originally offered.
CBA began testing a generative AI chatbot called "Hey CommBank" at the end of 2024, triggering fears of further job cuts among the approximately 2,400 employees in the call centers.
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Concern in Germany too
Concerns about AI-related job losses are also widespread in Germany and Europe. A survey by the Ifo Institute, for example, found that a quarter of German companies expect to lay off employees or not fill positions because artificial intelligence can do the work. Accelerated structural change is expected in industry in particular.
(mki)
