Public Services Experience Surge in Requests Due to AI Tools

Sep 10, 2026

AI Summary

Public services globally are seeing a significant increase in applications and complaints, attributed to the ease of using AI tools like ChatGPT. Research indicates that while some submissions may be adversarial, many come from legitimate users who previously found the application process too daunting.

In the UK, complaints to the housing ombudsman rose from 2,600 in 2022 to over 7,000 in 2023 after the introduction of AI tools.
The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported a fivefold increase in complaints during the same period.
Similar trends were observed in Brazil and Germany, with significant increases in judicial and parliamentary petitions.
Researcher Chris Schmitz is studying this phenomenon, termed “agentic flooding,” across 11 jurisdictions, noting that AI tools are changing public service interactions.
Schmitz's findings suggest that while some new applications may be seen as spam, many are from legitimate claims that were previously abandoned due to administrative burdens.
The increase in applications is expected to continue, as AI technology becomes more accessible and user-friendly.
Schmitz emphasizes the potential for rethinking public services to better accommodate AI-assisted applications, viewing this as an opportunity rather than a challenge.

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Public Services Experience Surge in Requests Due to AI Tools

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