AI-generated content increases workload for UK civil servants

Since ChatGPT was launched, government departments around the world have been experiencing an abnormal surge in the number of complaints, requests and responses directed at regulators and official bodies. The same is true of court systems. In the UK, for example, employment tribunal cases in England, Scotland and Wales surged by 39% in a year, partly because plaintiffs are using AI to draft their claims; at the same time, frontline and senior judges are overwhelmed by the large numbers of litigants who cannot afford lawyers and use ChatGPT to piece together their cases, because such cases are often full of holes and completely illogical. And all this cumbersome content requires patient manual sorting and screening—after all, even if a defendant cites a precedent that does not exist at all, that does not mean there is no legitimate grievance behind it. A special adviser to the UK government complains that major departments are being flooded with AI-generated freedom of information requests, which clearly runs counter to the original purpose of the system, which was to empower citizens. MP offices are likewise being flooded with AI-written letters, and staff must read them one by one for fear of missing important requests from constituents. If more automated AI agents become widespread among the public, the risk of government agencies being paralyzed will be further exacerbated.