The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), the country’s largest financial institution, is facing scrutiny following recent workforce changes. The bank is implementing a new voice bot system, which is expected to automate 45 roles in its call centers.
SkyNews reported that, in addition to this, another 45 jobs are being offshored to CBA’s operations in India, where customer messaging positions are being advertised. This is the first time a bank has openly attributed job cuts to the adoption of artificial intelligence. The Finance Sector Union (FSU) has raised concerns over the impact of these changes, particularly regarding workers’ ability to reskill for new roles involving AI.
A Shift Towards Automation
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s decision to implement AI technology in its call centers is part of a broader industry trend. The bank has introduced a voice bot system designed to handle simple customer inquiries, leading to the elimination of 45 local jobs. In addition, 45 other roles are being moved offshore to CBA India, as the bank recruits for customer messaging positions in that market.
This decision has raised new questions about the role of AI in replacing human workers. CBA’s move is significant as it is the first time a major bank has openly attributed job cuts to the use of AI, setting a precedent in the financial sector.
Union’s Response: Concerns Over Service and Job Security
Julia Angrisano, national secretary of the FSU, has voiced strong opposition to CBA’s decision. She expressed outrage over the fact that the bank is not investing in reskilling its workforce.
Just when we think CBA can’t sink any lower, they start cutting jobs because of AI on top of sneakily offshoring work to India – Angrisano said.
She emphasized that while workers want a bank that is tech-savvy, they also expect to be part of the technological change rather than being replaced by it.
Workers want to be trained and supported into better jobs that leverage AI – Angrisano added.
However, she criticized CBA for “discarding Australians” through ongoing redundancies and outsourcing.
Angrisano also warned that these changes would have a negative impact on customer service.
There is a human cost to this. You can’t just replace frontline jobs with a voice bot and expect the same service for customers – she said.
She also pointed out that CBA made $10 billion last year, asserting that the bank has no excuse for treating its workforce this way.
Cba’s Response: Efficiency and Customer Experience
In defense, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia explained that its investment in AI is aimed at improving efficiency and customer service. A spokesperson for the bank stated that the automation of simple queries will allow employees to focus on more complex customer interactions, particularly those that require empathy and experience.
By automating simple queries, our teams can focus on more complex customer queries that need empathy and experience – the CBA spokesperson said.
They also stressed that the bank is exploring opportunities for the redeployment of employees impacted by the job cuts, as well as offering reskilling opportunities to help them transition to new roles.
The latest round of job cuts follows a series of similar decisions at the Commonwealth Bank, including the outsourcing of hundreds of jobs to India. The FSU has previously taken CBA to the Fair Work Commission for allegedly breaching a contract related to these outsourcing practices.
The union has also demanded answers from CBA over the axing of 164 jobs from its technology division and the planned reduction of 90 roles at CBA’s subsidiary, Bankwest.
