A Commonwealth Bank employee has revealed she was sacked after 25 years, unaware that she had been helping train AI to take over her role.
Bank teller Kathryn Sullivan, 63, said she was completely unaware that her work was preparing a chatbot to replace her before being made redundant in July, ending a long career with the bank.
“I was completely shell-shocked, alongside my colleague,” she said. “We just feel like we were nothing, we were a number.”
Ms Sullivan, who had supported technologies aimed at improving customer service, said she was blindsided by the decision.
Her final duties involved scripting and testing chatbot responses for CBA’s Bumblebee AI, and she would step in whenever the bot failed to answer customer queries.
“Inadvertently, I was training a chatbot that took my job,” she said.
She added that while she sees a purpose for AI in the workplace, safeguards are necessary, “While I embrace the use of AI and I can see a purpose for it in the workplace and outside, I believe there needs to be some sort of regulation to prevent copyright (infringements) … or replacing humans.”
Following the redundancies, CBA – which reported a $10.25 billion profit in the past financial year – initially failed to respond to Ms Sullivan for more than a week.
“They ghosted me for eight business days before they answered any of my questions,” she said.
The bank later admitted the AI rollout had been a mistake after customer calls surged, showing the technology could not fully replace staff.
CBA reversed some redundancies and offered affected employees their jobs back, but Ms Sullivan chose redundancy, citing that her new role lacked the security of her original position.
A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson acknowledged the mishandling, “The bank’s initial assessment that 45 roles were not required ‘did not adequately consider all relevant business considerations and because of this error, the roles were not redundant.’ We have apologised to the employees concerned and acknowledge we should have been more thorough in our assessment of the roles required.”
Despite the controversy, CBA continues to expand its AI initiatives. Last month, CEO Matt Comyn announced a partnership with OpenAI to tackle “scams, fraud, cyber and financial crime.”
“To be globally competitive, Australia must embrace this new era of rapid technological change,” he said.
“Our strategic partnership with OpenAI reflects our commitment to bringing world‑class capabilities to Australia, and exploring how AI can enhance customer experiences, better protect our customers, and unlock new opportunities for Australian businesses.”
The bank also faced criticism for hiring around 100 new roles in India just weeks after cutting more than 300 staff in Australia.
Ms Sullivan shared her experience at an AI symposium at Parliament House, organised by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). ACTU assistant secretary Joseph Mitchell stressed the need for a national agenda to ensure AI empowers jobs, workers, and economic growth.
Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock added that employers will need to invest in training and education for workers affected by AI, warning of potential labour market disruptions.
“That’s why it is so important that we have a resilient and adaptable workforce,” she said. “But some individuals are likely to need support through these disruptions.”
Assistant Productivity Minister Andrew Leigh emphasised that workers’ voices must remain central to AI adoption.
“The Australian ideal of the ‘fair go’ means that prosperity is shared,” he said, adding that “technology should serve people, not the other way around.”
Labor senator Tim Ayres raised concerns about Australia relying on technology developed overseas rather than shaping its own digital future.
“How we co-operate and collaborate with our neighbours and partners and competitors on these questions is up for grabs,” he said.
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