{"id":83734,"date":"2025-08-21T01:00:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T01:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/83734\/"},"modified":"2025-08-21T01:00:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T01:00:08","slug":"commonwealth-bank-backtracks-on-ai-job-cuts-apologises-for-error-as-call-volumes-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/83734\/","title":{"rendered":"Commonwealth Bank backtracks on AI job cuts, apologises for ‘error’ as call volumes rise"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Commonwealth Bank has backtracked on dozens of job cuts, describing its decision to axe 45 roles due to artificial intelligence as an “error”.<\/p>\n

CBA said it had apologised to the affected employees after finding the customer service roles were not redundant despite introducing an AI-powered “voice-bot”.<\/p>\n

The Finance Sector Union has described the reversal as a “major win”, after it raised a dispute at the Fair Work Commission.<\/p>\n

It said its members found work actually spiked after the bot was introduced, despite the bank’s claims it would reduce calls<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“Our investment in technology, including AI, is making it easier and faster for customers to get help, especially in our call centres,” CBA had said when confirming the job cuts in July.<\/p>\n

The FSU said the experience of workers after the bot was introduced was “a very different story”.<\/p>\n

“Call volumes were rising, with management scrambling to offer overtime and even pulling team leaders onto the phones,” its statement read.<\/p>\n

CBA admitted it “did not adequately consider all relevant business considerations” when announcing the redundancies and acknowledged “we should have been more thorough in our assessment of the roles required”.<\/p>\n

\"Back<\/p>\n

Workers reported an increase in call volumes after the AI “voice-bot” was introduced. (ABC News: Giulio Saggin)<\/p>\n

Affected staff have now been provided the choice to continue in their current roles, pursue redeployment within the bank or proceed with leaving CBA.<\/p>\n

“We are also reviewing our internal processes to improve our approach going forward,” a bank spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

However, the FSU said the “damage is already done”.<\/p>\n

“CBA has been caught out trying to dress up job cuts as innovation,” FSU national secretary Julia Angrisano said.<\/p>\n

“Using AI as a cover for slashing secure jobs is a cynical cost-cutting exercise, and workers know it.”AI ‘very, very disruptive’ to jobs<\/a><\/p>\n

While overall employment is holding up, there are increasing signs that artificial intelligence is eating away at opportunities in some parts of the job market.<\/p>\n

The union said it was continuing to collect accounts from members at CBA about the impact of offshoring, automation and AI on workloads and job security, ahead of a Fair Work hearing next week.<\/p>\n

CBA chief executive Matt Comyn recently told ABC News it was difficult to predict the impact of AI on jobs in the long term<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“I think the full potential of AI, to the extent that we even understand how that can be done, is one that is many years away.<\/p>\n

“It’s true of any technology that some tasks may be automated.<\/p>\n

“Ultimately, what we’ve been able to say before is that people have migrated to higher-value work.”<\/p>\n

The CEO highlighted around 2,000 extra staff hired in recent months, but acknowledged that many of those roles had been added in India, as the bank expanded its technology team there.<\/p>\n

CBA reported a record $10.25 billion cash profit for the 2025 financial year.<\/p>\n

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