AUSTRALIAN BANK FIRES 65-YEAR-OLD EMPLOYEE AFTER TRAINING CHATBOT TO REPLACE HER
Read Time:1 Minute, 36 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
A 65-year-old former bank teller at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), Kathryn Sullivan, has revealed she was dismissed after unknowingly training the artificial intelligence chatbot that ultimately replaced her.
According to The Sun, Sullivan, who worked with the bank for 25 years, was made redundant in July after spending weeks scripting and testing responses for the bank’s Bumblebee AI system.
“I was completely shell-shocked, alongside my colleague. We just feel like we were nothing, we were a number,” Sullivan said, expressing dismay at how her career ended.
While acknowledging AI’s potential, she stressed the need for regulation. “I embrace the use of AI and can see a purpose for it in the workplace and outside, but there needs to be safeguards to prevent copyright infringements or replacing humans,” she added.
Following the redundancies, CBA initially ignored her inquiries for more than a week. The bank later admitted its AI rollout had been premature and apologised, saying the assessment that 45 roles were redundant “did not adequately consider all relevant business considerations.”
Affected staff were offered their jobs back, but Sullivan declined, citing insecurity in the restructured role.
CBA continues to push ahead with its AI adoption. CEO Matt Comyn recently announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI to combat scams, fraud, cybercrime, and other financial risks.
“Our strategic partnership with OpenAI reflects our commitment to bringing world-class capabilities to Australia, enhancing customer experiences, better protecting our customers, and unlocking new opportunities for Australian businesses,” Comyn said.
The incident has reignited global debates over AI ethics, job security, and the need for regulation to protect workers from being displaced by the very systems they help build.
In Nigeria, where banks and fintech firms are increasingly exploring AI for fraud detection, financial analysis, and customer support, Sullivan’s experience highlights growing concerns about the future of human labour in an AI-driven economy.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0