The AI Paperwork Surge Is Putting Pressure On Britain’s Bureaucracy

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A Sky News report published October 20 says complaints, Freedom of Information requests and employment tribunal claims have risen across multiple UK services since ChatGPT launched in November 2022, increasing pressure on systems that rely on written submissions. The figures show a broad upward pattern, but do not prove that AI caused the rise.

Sky News technology correspondent Rowland Manthorpe compared changes across several channels. The report lists household complaints about water companies as up 144% since ChatGPT launched, complaints about English local authorities up 78%, written complaints to GP practices up 71%, and complaints to the Department for Work and Pensions up 64%. Individual employment tribunal claims rose 62%, while written complaints to the NHS rose 35%. These are reported growth figures; the source material does not specify a common measurement window or provide the underlying counts for every category.

The report says the series were broadly flat for years before beginning to rise from late 2022 and then accelerating. Each channel has other possible explanations: water companies, for example, have faced difficult recent years. The shared timing is a pattern, not proof that ChatGPT or AI writing tools caused the changes.

Manthorpe also tested 100 recent FOI requests with an AI-text checker. It classified 89% as fully AI-written and 9% as human-written; a smaller sample of requests from 2019 was classified as entirely human. The report cautions that AI detectors are unreliable and that this limited test cannot establish the cause of the broader increase.

AI Raises the Cost of Paper-Based Services

The pressure matters because public bodies must process submissions even when the volume increases, and written forms and letters remain part of how people seek information, challenge decisions and claim services. An academic survey cited by Sky News found 58% of surveyed civil servants said AI-generated content from the public had a significant effect on their work. Respondents described receiving correspondence faster and said processing it could feel exhausting and anxiety-inducing.

But higher volume does not automatically mean abuse. Sky News reports that the proportion of DWP complaints upheld has fallen from the 50s to close to 40%. That is a lower success rate, but if the total number of complaints has grown substantially, the absolute number upheld could still be higher; the report’s supplied figures do not give enough counts to calculate that total. Researcher Chris Schmitz, whose work on possible “agentic flooding” was reported by TechCrunch, said most of the cases he examined involved people claiming something they were entitled to receive.

This distinction shapes the policy choice. Adding charges or other barriers may reduce submissions, but could also deter people with valid complaints. Public services face the challenge of handling more paperwork without confusing efficient processing with denying access.

Regulators Address AI-Written Requests

In May, the Information Commissioner’s Office issued guidance on AI-generated FOI requests after public authorities reported higher volumes and more complex submissions. The ICO said an AI-written request remains valid and that authorities do not need to determine who—or what—drafted it. They may seek clarification when a request is unclear or badly formed.

The rise described in the UK report is part of a wider pattern cited by Manthorpe. A paper by Schmitz documented 84 possible cases of what he calls “agentic flooding” across 11 jurisdictions; the source material says most were roughly flat before 2022 and increased afterward. The UK Housing Ombudsman received about 2,600 complaints in 2022 and just over 7,000 last year, while the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau saw complaints grow fivefold. These examples provide context, but do not show that every increase has the same cause.

Some organisations have tried to limit complaint volume. The Financial Ombudsman Service found about a third of its complaints were AI-generated and began charging some professional representatives to bring complaints; the number fell. That experience shows a policy option can reduce submissions, but it does not establish whether those deterred complaints were valid.

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

— Civil servants surveyed in an academic study cited by Sky News

The Cause and Scale Remain Unsettled

The figures establish reported increases across several channels, but they do not isolate AI’s contribution from other causes, such as service problems, policy changes or greater public awareness. The AI-detector exercise is small and its method is not reliable enough to settle authorship at scale. The source material also does not provide comparable baseline counts and measurement windows for all the growth percentages.

It is also unclear how much of the current increase comes from people using chatbots to draft their own submissions, as opposed to automated tools filing on their behalf. The report says most present use involves people copying text to and from a chatbot, while AI agents capable of taking actions for users could change that. The volume and effect of such agent-led submissions are not yet established.

Services Face Pressure to Redesign Forms

The immediate response will depend on how public bodies apply existing rules and adapt their processes. The ICO’s May guidance leaves AI-written FOI requests valid while allowing authorities to ask for clarification. The report describes a broader choice between introducing friction—such as charges or harder submission processes—and changing how services gather information.

Loosemore argues for replacing essay-like applications with structured data and redesigned services, rather than trying to prevent people from using AI to write. He warns that barriers could be bypassed as tools improve and says the current model for benefits may not survive without fundamental changes. The report does not identify a timetable or a specific government reform plan. The next signs to watch are whether complaint volumes continue rising, how agencies handle valid and unclear submissions, and whether departments move toward simpler structured applications.

Key Questions

What has risen, according to the Sky News report?

The report lists increases since ChatGPT launched in November 2022 across several written channels, including FOI requests, service complaints and employment tribunal claims. It reports growth figures for complaints to water companies, councils, GP practices, the DWP and other bodies.

Does the report prove AI caused the increase?

No. The timing and pattern are consistent with AI making paperwork easier to produce, but they do not establish causation. Other factors may affect individual services, and the report says AI-text detectors are unreliable.

Are AI-written FOI 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 identify the authoring tool, though they can seek clarification if a request is unclear.

Could higher complaint volumes mean more people have valid claims?

They could. Sky News reports that the share of DWP complaints upheld has fallen to close to 40%, but that does not by itself show whether the number upheld has risen or fallen. Researcher Chris Schmitz said most cases in his study involved people claiming something they were entitled to.

What changes are being proposed?

Tom Loosemore argues for redesigning services to use structured information rather than lengthy essays. The report does not describe a specific government implementation plan or timetable.

Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com