A Closer Look At AI’s Paperwork Burden On Britain

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Written complaints and claims have increased across several British public services since ChatGPT launched, according to a Sky News report published October 20, 2026. The report says the pattern appears across unrelated channels, but the data does not establish that AI caused the rise; it raises a practical question for government: how to handle more submissions without shutting out people with valid complaints.

Sky News technology correspondent Rowland Manthorpe examined data on Freedom of Information requests, complaints and employment tribunal claims. The figures in the report show growth since ChatGPT’s November 2022 launch, including 144% for household complaints about water companies, 78% for complaints about English local authorities and 71% for written complaints to GP practices. Individual employment tribunal claims rose 62%, while written complaints to the NHS rose 35%. Each figure uses its own channel and comparison period; the report describes a broad pattern, not a single measure of public complaints.

Manthorpe also tested 100 recent FOI requests with an AI-text detector. It labelled 89% fully AI-written and 9% human, while a smaller 2019 sample was labelled entirely human. The report cautions that AI detectors are unreliable and that this small test cannot show whether AI produced the overall increase. Other factors may affect each channel: the report notes, for example, that water companies have faced difficult years.

A survey of civil servants cited by Sky News found 58% said AI-generated material from the public significantly affects their work. Some described a heavier workload and difficult exchanges. The Information Commissioner’s Office said in May that AI-written FOI requests remain valid; authorities do not have to identify whether AI was used and may seek clarification when a request is unclear or poorly formed.

More Claims, More Pressure on Services

The increase matters because many public services process applications and complaints through letters, forms and written explanations. If AI reduces the effort required to draft them, authorities may face more submissions, including appeals that can take staff time to review. The potential pressure is especially relevant where services already rely on people to explain their circumstances in detail.

But the report presents a tension between workload and access. More submissions are not automatically frivolous. Sky News reports that the share of DWP complaints upheld has fallen from the 50s to close to 40%. That is a lower proportion, but it still means a substantial share are upheld; with a larger total volume, the number of successful complaints may be higher. The report does not provide enough figures here to calculate that total independently.

Adding barriers could reduce caseloads, but it could also deter people with legitimate claims. The challenge is to preserve a route to redress while making processes manageable for staff—not to treat AI use itself as evidence that a complaint lacks merit.

A Paperwork-Based System Meets AI

For years, the volume of FOI requests to British public bodies changed little, according to the Sky News report. It began rising after ChatGPT launched in November 2022, with the trend becoming more pronounced later. The report says similar shapes appear across several complaint and claims channels, although each has distinct causes and its own data.

The issue is not confined to Britain. A paper by researcher Chris Schmitz, covered by TechCrunch in September, describes 84 possible cases of what he calls “agentic flooding” across 11 jurisdictions. The source material says many were broadly flat before 2022 and rose afterward. It also cites the UK Housing Ombudsman, where complaints grew from about 2,600 in 2022 to just over 7,000 last year, and the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where complaints increased fivefold. Those examples indicate a wider pattern, but do not by themselves prove AI was the cause.

At present, much of the activity involves people using chatbots to draft text. The next possible step is AI agents that submit or pursue claims for users. Manthorpe’s report demonstrates a Meta agent service, but the source does not establish how widely such tools are already being used for public-service applications.

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

— Civil servants quoted in the survey cited by Sky News

What the Rising Numbers Cannot Prove

The figures show increases over time, but they do not establish that AI caused them. The channels differ, and events such as service problems or changes in public awareness can influence complaint volumes. The AI-detector test is small and its results are not conclusive; the source also does not provide the full underlying datasets or a consistent method for comparing every channel.

It is also unclear how many submissions are drafted with AI, how many are submitted by automated agents, and how much additional staff time each one requires. The cited DWP figures show the proportion of complaints upheld has fallen, but the material does not give the exact total volumes needed to calculate how many more complaints were upheld in absolute terms.

Reworking Forms and Claims Processes

The policy question is whether public bodies respond by adding barriers or redesigning how people make claims. Tom Loosemore argues for structured data instead of essays, so applicants can provide information in a consistent format rather than composing long explanations. He warns that trying to block AI-written submissions could prompt an arms race as tools adapt to restrictions.

The ICO’s May guidance provides a current rule for FOI requests: AI-written submissions remain valid, and authorities can ask for clarification when needed. The source material does not identify a government-wide plan or a timetable for changing services. The next developments to watch are whether departments update forms and processes, and whether they publish clearer data on submission volumes, outcomes and staff workload.

Key Questions

What did the Sky News report find?

It reported rising complaints, FOI requests and employment tribunal claims across several British services since ChatGPT launched in November 2022. The reported increases vary by channel.

Does the report prove AI caused the increase?

No. The report describes a timing pattern and an AI-detector test, but cautions that the test is limited and detectors can be unreliable. Other factors may also affect complaint volumes.

Are AI-written FOI requests valid?

According to guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office published in May, AI-written FOI requests are still valid. Authorities do not need to determine who or what wrote them and can ask for clarification if a request is unclear.

Are the additional complaints mostly frivolous?

The source does not support that conclusion. It cites research suggesting many cases involve people claiming something they are entitled to, while Sky News reports that about 40% of DWP complaints are upheld. The figures do not establish the merits of every submission.

What changes are being proposed?

Tom Loosemore has argued for replacing essay-style processes with structured data and redesigned services. The source material does not describe a confirmed government-wide programme or implementation timetable.

Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com