CBA Cuts About 1,000 Jobs as AI Reshapes Banking Roles
Commonwealth Bank has cut about 1,000 jobs in 2026, including more than 172 technology positions, amid AI and chatbot deployment.
Commonwealth Bank has cut about 1,000 jobs in 2026, according to The New Daily, as it restructures roles while deploying AI tools and chatbots. The changes include 232 roles undergoing restructuring, with more than 172 in technology.
The report places CBA’s cuts within a broader Australian pattern of targeted restructures in banking, technology and mining—not widespread, economy-wide AI layoffs. ANZ, for example, is continuing a 3,500-job reduction program through September 2026 while deploying AI tools in banking and engineering.
What employers should take from it
For an employer redesigning work around AI, identifying tasks that technology can perform is not the same as proving a role is genuinely redundant. Document the new operating model, consult affected employees before making final decisions, and properly assess redeployment or upskilling options. Any resulting redundancy process should be based on the role no longer being required, rather than simply selecting a person for replacement by a tool.
- CBA cut about 1,000 jobs in 2026.
- The changes include restructuring 232 roles, including more than 172 technology positions.
- AI tools and chatbot deployment were cited in the context of role changes.
- The cuts form part of targeted Australian restructures rather than widespread mass AI layoffs.
For employers: When AI changes a role, establish that the position itself is no longer required, consult before deciding, and assess genuine redeployment or upskilling options before ending employment.
Sources: AI layoffs could backfire as firms face rehiring · AI not causing mass layoffs in Australia, says govt
General information for employers, not legal advice. Reporting summarised from the linked sources; confirm details with the primary source.