As AI takes over more routine customer service interactions, Australia’s largest bank is investing in specialist support to handle complex interactions across digital, phone and branch channels.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CommBank) is spending AU$140MN on upgrades designed to better connect digital, phone and branch experiences, as customers increasingly expect routine banking to be fast, simple and automated — but still want human support when the stakes are higher.
CBA Group Executive Retail Banking Services, Angus Sullivan, said the bank’s approach is based on the changing nature of customer expectations as digital banking becomes the default for everyday transactions.
“We know most everyday banking now happens online, and it needs to be fast and simple. But we also know there are moments that really matter, when customers want personal support, whether they’re buying a home, facing uncertainty or responding to a scam.”
The investment will fund upgrades across CommBank’s branch network, including refreshed layouts, accessibility improvements, new technology and additional staffing aimed at reducing wait times and improving continuity between channels.
The strategy is designed to reduce friction when customers move between digital and human-assisted support. Customers will be able to start a task online and continue it through phone or branch channels without needing to repeat information or restate their situation, the bank explained.
CommBank Expands AI Banking While Strengthening Human Support
The investment also arrives just weeks after CommBank began testing “CommBank Companion”, an AI-powered conversational banking assistant embedded inside its mobile app.
The bank has positioned the rollout as a deliberately staged deployment backed by around $1 billion in security investment, with governance, human oversight and fraud safeguards central to the strategy.
According to CommBank, the assistant is designed to support customer decision-making rather than replace human judgment, with escalation to human support available where needed.
CommBank’s emphasis on addressing complex customer service issues reflects a wider shift across customer experience strategies, as enterprises increasingly automate everyday interactions while repositioning human service teams around high-emotion, high-complexity moments.
The strategy also reflects growing recognition that customer satisfaction during emotionally significant moments often depends on empathy and contextual understanding rather than speed alone.
As Phil Hatton, Director of CRM Sales, ServiceNow told CX Today recently:
“AI should definitely be handling the high-volume, straightforward interactions where speed genuinely matters, and human nuance really adds little value in those particular instances. Routine queries, status updates, maybe simple transactions, we can automate them confidently, and that should be table stakes.”
But Hatton added that the moment a customer’s issue requires empathy, especially in the case of vulnerable customers, human support should be involved.
