Public bodies across the UK are seeing a sharp rise in complaints written with the help of AI chatbots. Schools, local councils, and other agencies say the tools are changing how people complain.
The BBC spoke with several groups about the trend. They say AI can turn a short complaint into a document that runs for dozens of pages.
Complaints Grow From One Page to 27
Deborah Evans leads Lawyers in Local Government, a group that represents 5,600 lawyers. She said a complaint about a missed bin collection used to fit on one sheet of paper.
Now, she said, that same complaint can stretch to between 19 and 27 pages. These documents often include legal citations and references to Acts of Parliament.
Evans said her organization would need double its current workforce to keep up with the load. She said this would likely lead to slower response times for everyone.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman also weighed in. A spokesperson said AI needs to be used with care and that legal challenges to their decisions are increasing too.
School leaders are seeing a similar pattern. Pepe Di'Iasio, who leads the Association of School and College Leaders, said parents are using AI to create multiple detailed complaints.
He said this adds to the work needed to resolve issues and puts pressure on staff.
The trend also affects Freedom of Information requests, which let people ask public bodies for data. The Information Commissioner's Office said in May that FOI teams are seeing more requests with greater complexity.
Some of these requests misquote laws or need extra clarification before they can be processed. The ICO published guidance this year warning that the trend could cause delays and errors.
Mixed Views on AI's Role
Not everyone views the rise as a problem. Dawn Harverson, who struggles with writing, said AI has helped her represent herself in complaints.
She said phone calls used to be an easy way to complain, but many services now push people toward email. For people who are neurodivergent or find writing difficult, she said AI fills a gap.
Lynn Wyeth of the National Association of Data Protection Officers said the shift is creating a hidden workload. She said AI-assisted requests often lead to long email chains and complex appeals.
One listener who works for a global company said they use AI themselves to cut down long complaints into short responses. They said this method has worked well at resolving cases quickly.
A school governor pointed out that AI chatbots are often built to agree with users. This means the tool rarely tells a complainant that their case may not be worth pursuing.
A primary school teacher offered a different view. They said the real issue may not be AI, but the shrinking chance for people to talk face to face with public workers.
Public bodies are now looking at ways to manage the shift. Evans suggested using structured forms to limit how long complaints can be, though some worry this could limit accountability.
