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A Sky News report published October 20 says written complaints, information requests and employment tribunal claims have risen across several British public services since ChatGPT launched in November 2022. The figures show a broad pattern, but do not establish that AI caused the increases; the Information Commissioner’s Office says AI-written FOI requests remain valid.
Written complaints and claims have risen across several British public services since ChatGPT launched in November 2022, according to a Sky News report published October 20. The figures raise questions about how public bodies handle growing volumes of correspondence, but they do not prove that AI caused the increases.
Sky News technology correspondent Rowland Manthorpe reported increases in nine channels, including complaints to water companies, local authorities, GP practices and the Department for Work and Pensions, as well as individual employment tribunal claims. Household complaints about water companies rose 144%; complaints about English local authorities rose 78%; written complaints to GP practices rose 71%. The report measures change since ChatGPT’s launch, though each channel has its own circumstances and reasons for changing.
Other increases reported by Sky News were 64% for DWP complaints, 62% for individual employment tribunal claims, 49% for complaints about legal services, 35% for written complaints to the NHS, 34% for complaints about police forces and 23% for complaints about public services. The report says the figures share a pattern: volumes were broadly flat for years, then began rising after late 2022. That timing is suggestive, but it does not establish a cause.
Manthorpe also tested 100 recent FOI requests with an AI-text detector. The tool labelled 89% as fully AI-written and 9% as human-written; a smaller 2019 sample was labelled entirely human. He cautioned that AI detectors are unreliable and that this test cannot show whether AI produced the wider increase. A separate survey cited by Sky News found 58% of civil servants said AI-generated content from the public significantly affected their work.
Britain · Public services · October 20, 2026
Can Friction Slow AI’s Paperwork Surge In Britain?
Written complaints, information requests and tribunal claims have risen across several public services since ChatGPT launched in November 2022. The pattern raises questions about growing volumes of correspondence, but does not show that AI caused the increases.
Nine channels, all rising
Sky News reported increases across complaints, service correspondence and individual tribunal claims. Each channel has its own pressures and circumstances.
Household complaints
Complaints about English councils
Written complaints
Complaints to the Department for Work and Pensions
Individual claims
Complaints about legal services
Written complaints
Complaints about police forces
Complaints across public services
The report describes volumes as broadly flat for years, then rising after late 2022; timing alone does not establish a cause.
What the pattern can—and cannot—tell us
What it suggests
Several written channels have reported more submissions since ChatGPT launched. A Sky News-cited survey also found that 58% of civil servants said AI-generated content from the public significantly affected their work.
What it does not prove
The figures do not show how much of the rise is AI-generated, how much reflects justified concerns, or whether services have slowed. Changing service quality, public awareness and other factors may also affect complaint levels.
More words mean more work
Lengthy or complex submissions can take time to read, route and clarify. Public bodies, tribunals and regulators must handle growing correspondence while keeping access open and responses fair.
The policy question is how to process higher volumes without creating barriers that deter legitimate requests. The supplied material identifies no new restriction or planned review of the reported figures.
“It’s like being bombarded with correspondence at speed.”
Civil servants described the strain of handling public AI-generated content in a survey cited by Sky News.
It’s like being bombarded with correspondence at speed.
Civil servant quoted in the survey cited by Sky NewsIt honestly feels in some instances we’re arguing with ChatGPT.
Civil servant quoted in the survey cited by Sky NewsIt’s exhausting and can be quite anxiety-inducing.
Civil servant quoted in the survey cited by Sky NewsA wider pattern is being examined
TechCrunch reported researcher Chris Schmitz documented possible “agentic flooding” cases across 11 jurisdictions. These comparisons involve separate bodies and do not establish one shared cause.
One sample is not a measure of all requests
Rowland Manthorpe tested 100 recent FOI requests with an AI-text detector. The result cannot establish AI’s role in wider volume changes.
Detector labels for 100 recent requests
A smaller 2019 comparison sample was labelled entirely human. The report cautioned that AI detectors are unreliable.
Separate the causes from the consequences
The reported increases describe mounting written correspondence. Their causes and effects remain unsettled.
Track submissions
Measure volumes consistently across channels and over time.
Test the drivers
Distinguish AI use from service quality, awareness and other changes.
Measure outcomes
Show how response times, decisions and service quality are changing.
Protect access
Establish how many submissions are valid concerns and claims.
What readers should know
What did Sky News report?
Increases since ChatGPT launched in November 2022 across several written channels, including public service complaints, FOI requests and individual employment tribunal claims.
Do the figures prove AI caused the rise?
No. Similar timing and upward patterns do not establish cause. Other factors may also be involved.
Are AI-written FOI requests valid in Britain?
Yes. The ICO’s May 2026 guidance says they remain valid. Authorities may ask for clarification if a request is poorly formed.
What does the 58% survey figure mean?
That share of civil servants said public AI-generated content significantly affected their work. The supplied source material does not give the sample size or full survey method.
From rising volume to a fair response
Pressure on Public Service Inboxes
More written submissions can add work for public bodies, tribunals and regulators, especially where requests are lengthy, complex or need clarification. The survey figure suggests many civil servants already feel an effect. The challenge is to handle valid requests and complaints while keeping services accessible and making sure people receive a fair response.
The figures do not show how much of the additional volume is AI-generated, how much is justified, or whether services have become slower as a result. Nor do they establish that AI is the main driver: changing service quality, public awareness and other factors may also affect complaint levels. The policy choice described in the report is whether institutions alter how they process correspondence or introduce barriers that could also deter legitimate requests.
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Guidance on AI-Written FOI Requests
In May 2026, the Information Commissioner’s Office published guidance after public authorities reported higher volumes and more complex FOI requests. The ICO said that an AI-written request is still a valid request. Authorities do not need to determine whether a person or an AI system wrote it, and may ask for clarification when a request is poorly formed.
The concern also appears beyond Britain. TechCrunch reported in September on researcher Chris Schmitz’s documentation of 84 possible cases of “agentic flooding” across 11 jurisdictions. Most were roughly flat before 2022 and rose afterward, according to the source material. It also reported that the UK Housing Ombudsman received about 2,600 complaints in 2022 and just over 7,000 last year. The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau saw complaints rise fivefold. These comparisons describe separate bodies and do not establish a shared cause.
“It’s like being bombarded with correspondence at speed.”
— Civil servant quoted in the survey cited by Sky News
AI-powered complaint tracking system
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What the Figures Cannot Establish
The reported timing and similar upward patterns do not prove that ChatGPT caused the increases. The figures cover channels with different processes and pressures, and the source material does not provide the underlying datasets or full methods for every measure. The FOI detector test involved only 100 recent requests and a smaller 2019 comparison sample; its results are not a reliable estimate of AI use across all requests.
It also remains unclear how much of the additional correspondence is AI-generated, how much represents valid concerns, and whether public bodies are experiencing measurable delays or poorer outcomes. The reported survey figure does not specify, in the supplied material, the number of civil servants surveyed or the precise survey method.
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The ICO guidance gives public authorities a current approach to AI-written FOI requests: treat them as valid and seek clarification when needed. The source material does not identify a new government policy, a planned restriction or a scheduled review of the reported complaint figures.
Further evidence would need to separate AI’s role from other causes, show how response times and outcomes are changing, and clarify how many submissions are legitimate claims. For now, the reported increases describe mounting written correspondence; their causes and effects remain unsettled.
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Key Questions
What did Sky News report?
It reported increases since ChatGPT launched in November 2022 across several written channels, including complaints to public services, FOI requests and individual employment tribunal claims.
Do the figures prove that AI caused the rise?
No. The report describes a similar timing and upward pattern across channels, but the figures do not establish that AI caused the increases. Other factors may also be involved.
Are AI-written FOI requests valid in Britain?
Yes. In guidance published in May 2026, the Information Commissioner’s Office said AI-written requests remain valid. Authorities may ask for clarification if a request is poorly formed.
How many civil servants said public AI use affects their work?
Sky News cited a survey in which 58% of civil servants said AI-generated content from the public significantly affected their work. The supplied source material does not give the survey’s sample size or full method.
Source: Thorsten Meyer AI
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