CommBank worker fired after 25 years, replaced by AI chatbot she helped train

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) has come under scrutiny after it emerged that a long-serving employee was made redundant and replaced by the very AI chatbot she helped train.

Kathryn Sullivan, who worked with the bank for 25 years, was part of the customer messaging team that developed “Bumblebee”, an artificial intelligence system designed to handle customer queries. Sullivan revealed at an AI symposium in Canberra that she had been directly involved in preparing scripts and testing responses for the chatbot—without realising it would eventually make her role redundant.

“I was loyal for so long, and this is the thanks I get,” Sullivan said. “Inadvertently, I was training a chatbot that took my job. While I embrace the use of AI, there needs to be regulation to ensure it doesn’t come at the expense of people’s livelihoods. You still need the human touch.”

Sullivan was among 45 employees laid off in July when CBA announced the first round of job cuts tied to the chatbot’s rollout. At the time, the bank reported that Bumblebee was reducing call volumes by around 2,000 per week.

However, the move quickly backfired. Following complaints raised by the Financial Sector Union (FSU) to the Fair Work Commission, the bank was forced to reverse its decision last month. Despite initial claims of efficiency, call volumes reportedly rose again after the job cuts, prompting the bank to concede it had “not adequately considered all relevant business factors.”

For the employees, the reversal came too late. Many—including Sullivan—were either not offered suitable redeployment options due to a six-month internal hiring freeze or declined new roles that did not match their skills.

Union leaders have warned that the case highlights the risks of rushing into automation without safeguards. “We cannot have an American-style ‘let it rip’ approach where workers are pushed aside,” said Joseph Mitchell, FSU Assistant Secretary.

Australia’s Minister for Industry, Tim Ayres, also called for stronger guardrails, emphasising that workers’ rights must remain central as organisations accelerate the use of AI.

The case serves as a reminder that while organisations adapt to new ways of working, it is equally important to preserve trust, fairness, and the value of long-serving employees.