Wednesday, 5 August 2026
The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is creating a new operational challenge for organisations across the United Kingdom, as AI-generated complaints become increasingly common in sectors including education, healthcare and public services.
According to legal experts, the growing use of generative AI tools is enabling individuals to produce lengthy, professionally written complaints with minimal effort. While this has improved access to formal complaint procedures for many people, organisations report that the increasing volume and complexity of AI-assisted submissions is placing significant pressure on staff responsible for investigating and responding to them.
Schools have been among the sectors most affected. Many report a rise in detailed complaints from parents that appear legally sophisticated but frequently contain inaccurate interpretations of legislation or policy. The issue has prompted Parentkind, working with the UK Department for Education, to encourage parents to keep complaints clear and relevant and to use AI tools with caution.
Public authorities are facing similar challenges. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has warned that AI-generated Freedom of Information requests are becoming increasingly common, with many containing ambiguous wording or incorrect references to legislation that require clarification before requests can be processed. This has increased the administrative burden on organisations already operating under statutory response deadlines.
One of the principal concerns is the amount of staff time required to process AI-generated submissions. Complaints that previously consisted of a brief letter can now extend over multiple pages, making it more difficult to identify the key issues and the outcome being sought. Organisations often spend considerable time separating relevant facts from unnecessary or repetitive content before beginning their investigation.
Legal specialists also highlight the tendency of large language models to generate inaccurate information, sometimes referred to as “hallucinations”. Complaints may include references to legislation, case law or regulations that do not exist, requiring organisations to verify legal citations that ultimately prove to be incorrect.
Another challenge is the increasingly confrontational tone often produced by AI tools. Complaints can contain broad allegations and strongly worded legal threats that make early, informal resolution more difficult. As a result, disputes may escalate unnecessarily before meaningful dialogue has taken place.
The imbalance in resources between complainants and organisations has also become more pronounced. AI enables individuals to generate multiple detailed submissions quickly, while organisations remain responsible for investigating each complaint thoroughly and producing balanced, evidence-based responses. This has created additional pressure for public bodies and businesses already operating with limited administrative resources.
Rather than responding to lengthy complaints point by point, legal experts recommend that organisations focus on the central issues requiring resolution and avoid being distracted by unnecessary detail. Existing complaints procedures generally provide sufficient flexibility to concentrate on material issues rather than every argument presented.
The use of AI to draft responses is also viewed cautiously. While automation may appear to offer efficiency gains, organisations are advised to consider the risks associated with confidentiality, factual accuracy and the impersonal nature of AI-generated correspondence. Maintaining human oversight is considered essential, particularly where sensitive or complex complaints are involved.
To manage the growing trend, organisations are encouraged to review complaints procedures, train staff to recognise AI-generated submissions, seek clarification where complaints are unclear and establish reasonable expectations regarding the length, format and frequency of correspondence. Introducing structured complaint templates or proportionate word limits may also help improve efficiency while ensuring complainants continue to receive fair consideration.
As AI tools become more widely available, legal experts expect AI-assisted complaints to become a permanent feature of organisational governance. The organisations most likely to manage this effectively will be those that strengthen their procedures, maintain proportionate responses and balance operational efficiency with fair treatment of complainants.
Source: CMS
