UK public bodies face AI clog, receiving floods of chatbot-generated complaints

The daily workload for public sector workers is growing significantly more burdensome, as a senior caseworker in a Labour MP’s office notes that "It is definitely more taxing," describing the current situation. Hollie Wickens details the daily strain of managing the escalating torrent of correspondence originating from artificial intelligence. She explains that "Half the emails we receive are some form of AI," which has complicated and lengthened the time needed to process incoming complaints and requests. This surge in AI-generated documents is affecting numerous bodies, including schools, lawyers, and local authorities, who are all receiving overwhelming volumes of grievances, legal challenges, and demands that are often intricate to decipher and address. Wickens observes that this deluge began subtly, stating, “It started as a trickle in 2024 and now it’s an onslaught.”