Bank reverses decision to replace 45 staff with chatbot • The Register

Australia’s Commonwealth Bank has decided not to fire 45 workers it planned to replace with an AI chatbot.

The Bank told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation about the sackings in late July, and said the introduction of AI had reduced call volumes by allowing automation of simple queries. The bank intended for the chatbot to leave staff able to handle tougher queries, even once it cut employee numbers.

The Bank was wrong, and on Thursday it apologized to the staff it let go .

Australia’s Finance Sector Union welcomed what it called a “backflip” and claimed call volumes rose at the Bank, leading to increased overtime for the remaining staff and management being drafted to help answer phones.

It’s unclear if the AI failed to perform as hoped, or if the bank botched something else.

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