CBA cuts hundreds from chat support, then adds 140 call-centre roles
Commonwealth Bank used automation to reduce chat-support staffing before rebuilding parts of its Australian call-centre workforce.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia cut hundreds of chat-support roles after introducing automation, Bloomberg reported, reducing costs by tens of millions of dollars a year. The bank later added more than 140 Australia-based call-centre positions.
The sequence shows how an AI-driven restructure can reduce one category of work while increasing demand for human staff handling other customer-service tasks. It also contrasts with a broader pattern: Gartner survey data cited in industry reports found that 74% of service organisations had deployed at least one AI use case, but only 20% had reduced agent headcount.
Across 12 major 2026 AI-attributed layoff announcements, customer service and support accounted for about 18,800 reported cuts, according to an industry analysis.
- Bloomberg reported that CBA shed hundreds of chat-support staff after using automation.
- The changes generated tens of millions of dollars in annual savings, according to the report.
- CBA later added more than 140 Australia-based call-centre roles.
- Gartner survey data cited in industry reports suggests most service organisations have not reduced agent headcount after adopting AI.
For employers: For an Australian employer, redeploying work is not automatically a genuine redundancy. Before deciding roles are no longer required because of AI, identify the actual work removed, consult affected employees, and assess suitable redeployment—such as escalation, quality or AI-oversight work—before finalising dismissals.
Sources: AI Wipes Out Customer Service Jobs at Microsoft, Uber and CBA · AI Customer Service Headcount Statistics for 2026 · How AI Is Reshaping Customer Service Staffing in 2026
General information for employers, not legal advice. Reporting summarised from the linked sources; confirm details with the primary source.