- A woman has lost her job at the Commonwealth Bank, Australia, after she was replaced by an artificial intelligence (AI)
- The bank staff, identified as Kathryn Sullivan, 63, has worked for the organisation for 25 years before AI replaced her
- Interestingly, Kathryn Sullivan was the one who trained the AI chatbot, not knowing that it would take her job
A woman lost her job after an artificial intelligence (AI) performed the role she was hired for.
The woman had worked with Commonwealth Bank, Australia, for 25 years before she was replaced by an AI chatbot was believed to be able to perform her job.
The bank staff, identified as Kathryn Sullivan, 63, shared her painful experience at AI symposium at Parliament House on Wednesday, organised by the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
According to a report by the Daily Mail, Sullivan worked for the bank for 25 years before she was made redundant by the bank.
The woman said she was shocked by the development, noting she had no idea the AI she was traning would sack her. She said the bank ghosted her and didn’t respond to her questions.
She said, per Daily Mail:
“I was completely shell-shocked, alongside my colleague,’ she said. ‘We just feel like we were nothing, we were a number. They ghosted me for eight business days before they answered any of my questions. We knew that messaging would eventually be sent offshore, but never in my wildest dream did I expect to be made redundant after 25 years with the company. Inadvertently, I was training a chatbot that took my job. ‘While I embrace the use of AI and I can see a purpose for it in the workplace and outside, I believe there needs to be some sort of regulation to prevent copyright (infringements) … or replacing humans.”
However, the bank later discovered that the AI could not really effeciently perform the role after sacking the woman.
She and other staff who were affected were later offered their jobs back but she rejected the offer because she placed in a different role.
The bank said:
“We are currently supporting affected employees and have provided them with choice regarding continuing in their current roles, pursuing redeployment within CBA or to proceed with leaving the organisation. We are also reviewing our internal processes to improve our approach going forward.”
The bank said it has appologised to staff affected by the redudancy.
The CBA said it “did not adequately consider all relevant business considerations and because of this error, the roles were not redundant. We have apologised to the employees concerned and acknowledge we should have been more thorough in our assessment of the roles required.”
Source: Legit.ng
