A 25-year veteran of Australia’s Commonwealth Bank says she was unknowingly training the AI system that replaced her, sparking fresh debate over the future of work.
SYDNEY — An Australian bank has come under fire after a long-serving employee revealed she was sacked and replaced by an AI system she unknowingly helped train.
Kathryn Sullivan, 63, had worked at the Commonwealth Bank (CBA) for 25 years before being made redundant in July. She said her final duties involved scripting and testing responses for “Bumblebee AI,” the bank’s chatbot designed to handle customer service queries. “Inadvertently, I was training a chatbot that took my job,” Sullivan said.
CBA, which posted a $10.25 billion profit last year, admitted its rollout had been mishandled after a surge in customer complaints showed the chatbot could not fully replace staff. While some roles were reinstated, Sullivan opted for redundancy, citing the insecurity of the restructured positions. “They ghosted me for eight business days before they answered any of my questions,” she said.
The case has reignited debate about AI’s impact on jobs. At an AI symposium in Parliament House, ACTU assistant secretary Joseph Mitchell called for a national strategy to ensure technology empowers workers rather than replaces them.
Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock warned of labour market disruptions, stressing that “some individuals are likely to need support through these disruptions.”
CBA has since announced a partnership with OpenAI to expand its use of artificial intelligence in tackling scams and fraud.
However, critics highlighted the bank’s decision to hire 100 new roles in India just weeks after cutting more than 300 jobs in Australia.