UK public bodies report floods of AI-generated complaints and requests

A report in The Guardian describes how UK public bodies, businesses, courts and schools say they are being overwhelmed by complaints, letters and legal challenges produced with generative AI tools. Commentators call the effect "AI clog", while researchers at the Hertie School, the Cooperative AI Foundation and GovAI use the term "agentic flooding". Hollie Wickens, a caseworker for a Labour MP, says that about half of the office's emails now involve AI, a volume that has climbed since 2024.

Lawyers in Local Government, which represents 5,600 lawyers at councils, says every sector sees similar issues. Complaints that once ran to about two pages are now mostly ten times longer, and one reached roughly 200 pages. Enfield council reports more parking appeals. The Information Commissioner's Office found that many authorities received more information requests in 2025 and described AI-written ones as long, repetitive and hard to interpret. Transport for London recorded a record 4,769 freedom of information requests in 2025-26 and noted more AI-looking appeals. Employment tribunal claims rose 28% between April and June compared with a year earlier, and MPs' offices report casework that has doubled or more.

Observers note that AI complaints can cite irrelevant or invented case law and often fail to state the outcome sought. Some ombudsman services have introduced word limits or templates, and one MP's office has stopped replying to automated email campaigns. Wiltshire council is exploring AI to summarise long emails, while researchers suggest fees or blocking bots. The government has advised civil servants to verify facts, avoid entering personal data and keep humans in charge of decisions.