AI, Paperwork, And Britain’s Bureaucratic Burden

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A Sky News report published October 20 found that written complaints, freedom of information requests and employment tribunal claims have risen across multiple UK public services since ChatGPT launched in November 2022. The report says the parallel increases coincide with wider access to AI writing tools, but the data does not prove AI caused them; the findings matter because many submissions appear to concern valid grievances, while public bodies built around written casework are reporting heavier workloads.

Sky News technology correspondent Rowland Manthorpe compared trends across several channels where people submit information in writing. Reported growth since ChatGPT’s launch included 144% for household complaints about water companies, 78% for complaints to English local authorities, 71% for written complaints to GP practices and 64% for complaints to the Department for Work and Pensions. Individual employment tribunal claims rose 62%, while written complaints to the NHS rose 35%. Each figure describes a different channel; the report also notes that those services have their own reasons for changing complaint volumes.

Manthorpe found a similar broad pattern in the data: relatively flat levels over several years followed by increases from late 2022. In a small test of 100 recent freedom of information requests, an AI-text detector labelled 89% fully AI-written and 9% human. A smaller sample from 2019 was labelled entirely human. Sky News cautioned that detectors are unreliable and that this test cannot establish either the overall share of AI-written requests or whether AI caused the wider rise.

An academic survey cited by Sky News found that 58% of surveyed civil servants said AI-generated material from the public significantly affected their work. One respondent described being “bombarded with correspondence at speed”; others said it could feel like arguing with ChatGPT and could be exhausting. In May, the Information Commissioner’s Office issued guidance saying AI-written FOI requests remain valid. It said authorities do not need to determine who or what wrote a request, though they may seek clarification when it is unclear.

Why Public Services Face More Casework

The increases put pressure on systems that often depend on people explaining their cases in letters, forms or appeals. If AI makes those submissions faster and easier to prepare, officials may have more material to process, including requests that need clarification. The reported 58% survey finding suggests many civil servants already feel an effect on their work, although it does not measure the overall cost, time or quality of handling cases.

The access question is as important as the workload. Sky News reports that the share of DWP complaints upheld has fallen from the 50% range to close to 40%. That is a lower proportion, but a larger total volume can still mean more complaints upheld in absolute numbers. The report does not provide figures here to calculate that total. It cites researcher Chris Schmitz, whose review of cases across jurisdictions found that most involved people claiming something to which they were entitled. If many new submissions are justified, measures that deter AI-assisted writing could also deter people with valid claims.

That creates a choice for public bodies: add friction to slow submissions, or change processes so they can handle more claims without requiring long, free-form accounts. Either choice could affect how easily people challenge decisions or seek redress. The available reporting describes the pressure and the policy debate; it does not establish which approach will work best.

From ChatGPT to Automated Claims

The reported rise spans unrelated services, including water companies, councils, GP practices, the DWP and employment tribunals. That range is one reason the pattern drew attention, but it does not show that every increase shares the same cause. For example, Sky News notes that water companies have faced difficult years, and service-specific developments can affect complaint numbers independently of AI.

The UK is not the only country seeing more written complaints. A paper by Chris Schmitz, reported by TechCrunch in September, documented 84 possible cases he described as “agentic flooding” across 11 jurisdictions. Most had been roughly flat before 2022 and later rose, according to the source material. The examples included the UK Housing Ombudsman, where complaints increased 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 are reported examples, not proof that AI alone drove the changes.

The next technological shift may be from chatbots that help people draft text to AI agents that submit or pursue claims for them. Manthorpe demonstrated an agent service from Meta in his report. Former Government Digital Service founder Tom Loosemore warned that services relying on applicants to write extensive accounts could face a more fundamental challenge as automated agents make repeated submissions easier.

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

— Civil servant surveyed in research cited by Sky News

What the Rising Counts Cannot Prove

The report identifies a timing pattern, but it does not establish that ChatGPT or other AI tools caused the increases. Complaint volumes can change because of service problems, policy decisions, public awareness, or easier access to advice, among other factors. The detector test covered only 100 recent FOI requests, and the source material warns that AI-text detectors are unreliable; it cannot reliably identify authorship across all requests.

The survey finding reflects the responses of surveyed civil servants, not necessarily every public-sector worker or every type of case. The material also does not provide a full account of how the reported growth figures were calculated or the precise periods used for each channel. It remains unclear how many submissions are substantially AI-written, how much additional work they create, and how many lead to successful outcomes.

Whether Services Replace Free-Form Writing

The immediate response from authorities is likely to focus on handling increased volumes and clarifying poorly formed requests. The Information Commissioner’s Office has already said AI-generated FOI requests are valid and that authorities can ask for clarification when needed. Sky News’s report leaves open whether other public bodies will change their processes, adopt new tools or seek ways to limit submissions.

Loosemore’s proposed direction is to rely more on structured data rather than essays in public-service applications. That could make information easier for agencies to process, but the source material does not set out a specific government plan, timetable or agreed programme to do so. The next significant developments will be whether public bodies publish further evidence on workload and outcomes, and whether they redesign application and appeal systems as AI agents begin to submit claims on people’s behalf.

Key Questions

What did the Sky News report find?

It reported increases since ChatGPT launched across several written channels, including complaints to water companies, councils, GP practices and the DWP, as well as employment tribunal claims. The reported figures differ by channel.

Does the report prove AI caused the increase?

No. The timing and similar patterns across channels are suggestive, but the report does not establish causation. Each service can have other reasons for changes in complaint or claim volumes, and the AI-detector test was small and inconclusive.

Are AI-written freedom of information requests valid?

The Information Commissioner’s Office said in guidance published in May that AI-written requests are still valid. Authorities do not need to determine who or what wrote them, but may ask for clarification if a request is unclear.

Are the additional complaints mostly invalid?

The material does not support that conclusion. Schmitz said most cases in his review involved people claiming something they were entitled to claim. The report also cites a fall in the DWP’s share of complaints upheld, but says the share remained close to 40%; it does not provide the totals needed to calculate the number upheld.

What changes might public services make?

The report discusses two broad responses: add barriers to submissions or redesign processes around structured information rather than lengthy written accounts. It does not identify an agreed government policy or timetable for such changes.

Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com