Bank Fires Workers in Favor of AI Chatbot, Rehires Them After Chatbot Is Terrible at the Job.

In July, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia laid off about fifty employees, replacing them with an artificial intelligence-based “voicebot,” supposedly capable of replacing the workers previously responsible for customer service. According to Bloomberg, the Bank stated that the AI service introduced would significantly reduce call volume.

The Australian Financial Services Union, faced with the bank's statements, contested the claim and initiated proceedings against the CBA in the labor court. Following this move, the bank retracted its original statement to Bloomberg, explaining that the assessment made had proved to be incorrect, as it had ignored several considerations that were fundamental to a correct analysis of the customer service department.

The “voicebot” therefore proved to be a failure rather quickly, prompting the company to recall those who had previously been laid off. The Bank subsequently apologized to those directly affected, offering them several options, including returning to their original positions.