Signal A fintech that replaced 700 service roles with a chatbot is rehiring people to work alongside it

Summary

Deloitte describes a financial technology company that, a year after asserting its AI chatbot could handle the work of 700 service representatives, began rehiring people. The new hires are meant to work with the AI rather than be replaced by it, pairing the system's speed with human empathy to improve customer outcomes. The example follows a survey finding that 57% of leaders who cut staff because of AI have come to question that decision. Deloitte uses the case to argue that capacity should be built by blending humans and machines, not only by substituting one for the other. It suggests that early claims of full automation in customer service can prove premature.