Has Commonwealth Bank of Australia had a publicly reported AI incident?
Yes. As of Oct 21, 2026, the register holds 2 publicly reported AI incidents at Commonwealth Bank of Australia since January 2022. The most recent is "Commonwealth Bank refers about A$1bn of suspect home loans, some reportedly AI-forged, to police" (Feb 26, 2026), status: reported, severity 3 of 5. Last swept Oct 21, 2026 (26 queries).
| Date | Institution | Incident | AI? | Role | Category | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 26, 2026 | Commonwealth Bank of Australia | Commonwealth Bank refers about A$1bn of suspect home loans, some reportedly AI-forged, to police | ML (inferred) | AI used against the institution | Other | 3 | Reported |
| Jul 29, 2025 | Commonwealth Bank of Australia | Commonwealth Bank reverses 45 job cuts it attributed to an AI voice bot | AI (stated) | Institution's own AI | AI job-cut reversal | 2 | Resolved |
Feb 26, 2026 · AI used against the institution · severity 3/5
Commonwealth Bank refers about A$1bn of suspect home loans, some reportedly AI-forged, to police
The Australian Financial Review reported on 26 February 2026 that Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) had referred itself to police and the corporate regulator over fears that about A$1 billion of home loans were obtained fraudulently amid a spike in doctored applications, "including documents created by artificial intelligence". According to Information Age, two whistleblowers had accused a mortgage broker and a lender in CBA's private bank of forging income statements, and neither the bank nor the authorities had disclosed how AI was used. CBA has not lost money because the loans are being repaid and are secured against property, news.com.au reported. A CBA spokesperson described attempted fraud through broker and referral channels as an industry-wide challenge. In March 2026 ASIC told a parliamentary committee it was making compliance inquiries.
Jul 29, 2025 · Institution's own AI · severity 2/5
Commonwealth Bank reverses 45 job cuts it attributed to an AI voice bot
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) told ABC News in July 2025 that it was cutting 45 call-centre roles after introducing an AI-powered voice bot for customer inquiries. The Finance Sector Union disputed the cuts at the Fair Work Commission, saying call volumes had risen rather than fallen after the bot launched. On 21 August 2025 CBA reversed the decision, called it an "error" and apologised to the affected staff; per ABC News, the bank said it "did not adequately consider all relevant business considerations". The 45 employees were offered the choice of keeping their roles, redeployment or leaving the bank. At the bank's October 2025 AGM, chair Paul O'Malley said: "We made a mistake."
Not incidents: precautions and statements with no reported harm.
Entries come from the register of AI incidents at banks: events since January 2022, each sourced to two independent publishers or one official or court document, with the institution's response recorded. A sweep searches news, regulator, court and security sources for the institution by name; its date, query count and result are logged on the register's method section.
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