Britain’s Bureaucracy Faces A Growing Wave Of AI Paperwork

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A Sky News report published October 20 found that complaints, freedom-of-information requests and employment tribunal claims have risen across several UK public services since ChatGPT launched in November 2022. The figures do not establish that AI caused the increases, but the report says 58% of surveyed civil servants said AI-generated material from the public significantly affects their work, raising questions about how government services handle growing volumes of written submissions.

Sky News technology correspondent Rowland Manthorpe compared data across a range of complaint and claim channels. Since ChatGPT’s launch, household complaints about water companies rose 144%, while complaints to English local authorities increased 78%. Written complaints to GP practices rose 71%, complaints to the Department for Work and Pensions increased 64%, and individual employment tribunal claims rose 62%. The report gives the growth figures but does not state a single common measurement window or baseline for each series beyond the period since ChatGPT launched.

Other channels also recorded increases: complaints about legal services rose 49%, written complaints to the NHS 35%, complaints about police forces 34%, and complaints about public services 23%. Each area has distinct factors that may affect its totals. Sky News notes, for example, that water companies have faced difficult years. The similar timing across separate services is a pattern, not proof that AI explains it.

Manthorpe also tested 100 recent freedom-of-information requests with an AI-text detector. The tool labelled 89% fully AI-written and 9% human; a smaller sample from 2019 was labelled entirely human. He cautioned that detectors are unreliable and that this limited test does not prove AI caused the increase. The Information Commissioner’s Office said in guidance published in May that AI-written FOI requests remain valid. Authorities do not need to determine whether a person used AI, though they may seek clarification if a request is unclear or poorly formed.

Pressure on Paper-Based Public Services

Many public services rely on people explaining a problem in writing, completing forms, or making a case through an appeal. Generative AI can reduce the time and confidence needed to produce that material. That may bring more work to already pressured teams, but it may also make it easier for people to assert rights or seek remedies they were entitled to request.

The distinction matters for policy. A larger inbox does not, by itself, show that submissions are frivolous. Sky News reported that the share of DWP complaints upheld has fallen from the 50% range to close to 40%. Even so, if the overall number of complaints has risen substantially, the number upheld could still be higher in absolute terms. The report does not provide the full counts needed to calculate that total.

Restricting AI-written submissions or adding fees could reduce volumes, but could also deter people with legitimate claims. The report’s central policy question is whether public bodies should add friction to writing-based processes or redesign them around clearer, more structured ways to submit information.

From ChatGPT Drafts to Automated Agents

The report describes a shift beginning after ChatGPT became publicly available in November 2022. The rise is visible across different channels, but other causes may be at work and the timing alone cannot establish a causal link. An academic survey cited by Sky News found that 58% of civil servants said AI-generated content from the public significantly affected their work.

The issue is also reported outside Britain. Researcher Chris Schmitz’s paper, covered by TechCrunch in September, describes 84 possible cases of what he calls “agentic flooding” across 11 jurisdictions. The source says many were roughly flat before 2022 and climbed afterward. It also cites the UK Housing Ombudsman, whose complaints rose from about 2,600 in 2022 to just over 7,000 last year, and the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where complaints grew fivefold. These examples are separate datasets and do not establish a single cause.

Most current use described in the Sky News report involves people using chatbots to draft text. AI agents could take a further step by submitting claims or appeals on a person’s behalf. Manthorpe demonstrated an agent service from Meta, but the report does not quantify how widely such systems are already being used for public-service cases.

“It’s like being bombarded with correspondence at speed.”

— Civil servants quoted in the survey cited by Sky News

What the Rising Counts Cannot Show

The available figures show increases across multiple channels, but they do not establish that AI caused them. The source report does not give a shared methodology or consistent measurement window for every series, and local pressures, service failures, policy changes or greater awareness of complaint routes may also affect totals. The detector test is small and relies on a tool Manthorpe says is unreliable.

It is also unclear how many submissions are entirely generated by AI, partly edited with AI, or written without it. The report does not quantify how much staff time the new material consumes, how many requests are invalid, or how many additional complaints are upheld across all the services examined. The likely scale and effect of AI agents filing cases automatically remain uncertain.

Service Design Faces the Next Test

The immediate response from public bodies will be shaped by existing rules and the quality of submissions. The ICO’s May guidance says AI-written FOI requests remain valid and allows authorities to ask for clarification when requests are unclear. The Sky News report does not identify a new national policy or announced deadline for changing complaint and claims systems.

Loosemore argues that government should replace essay-style processes with services based on structured data, rather than trying to keep people from submitting claims. Whether departments will adopt that approach, and how quickly, is not yet clear. Public bodies will also need to distinguish between genuine access to rights and administrative burden as use of AI tools and agents develops.

Key Questions

What did the Sky News report find?

It found that complaints, FOI requests and employment tribunal claims have risen across several UK channels since ChatGPT launched in November 2022. Reported increases ranged from 23% to 144% across the listed complaint categories, with individual tribunal claims up 62%.

Does the report prove AI caused the increases?

No. The timing and pattern are consistent with increased use of AI, but the report says the figures do not prove causation. Other developments may also have affected complaint and claim volumes.

Are AI-written freedom-of-information requests valid?

According to Information Commissioner’s Office guidance published in May, AI-written FOI requests remain valid. Public authorities do not need to identify whether AI was used, though they can ask for clarification if a request is badly formed.

Are the additional complaints mostly baseless?

The report does not support treating the rise as simply a wave of baseless claims. Researcher Chris Schmitz said most cases in his study involved people claiming something to which they were entitled. The report also notes that the share of DWP complaints upheld has fallen, while saying the absolute number upheld may still be higher if total complaints have grown.

What could change if AI agents become common?

Agents could submit appeals or claims automatically rather than only helping people draft them. The report raises this as a possible source of additional volume, but does not establish how widespread such use is or how public services will respond.

Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com