Australian bank sacks employee, replaces her with AI she trained
A65-year-old former bank teller at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Kathryn Sullivan, has been fired by the bank, only for her to discover that the chatbot she had spent weeks training was the reason she lost her job.
According to The Sun, Sullivan, who served the bank for 25 years, was made redundant in July.
Her final tasks, which included scripting and testing responses for the bank’s Bumblebee AI, reportedly prepared the chatbot to replace her role.
Sullivan expressed her disbelief, saying, “I was completely shell-shocked, alongside my colleague. We just feel like we were nothing, we were a number.”
She acknowledged AI’s benefits but stressed the need for safeguards, “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 initially did not respond to Sullivan’s inquiries for over a week.
The bank later admitted its AI rollout had been premature and offered affected employees their jobs back, which Sullivan declined, citing insecurity in the new role.
A CBA spokesperson said, “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.”
CBA continues to expand its AI initiatives. CEO Matt Comyn announced a partnership with OpenAI to address scams, fraud, cyber, and financial crime.
“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,” he said.
The incident has reignited debate over AI ethics, job security, and regulations to prevent companies from replacing human workers with machines trained by those same employees.
Globally, AI is increasingly handling customer service, financial analysis, and administrative tasks; raising concerns about the future of employment.
In Nigeria, the story resonates as banks and tech firms increasingly explore AI for financial operations, fraud detection, and customer support.
