Artificial intelligence is changing how people interact with public services, making it easier to complete forms, submit claims, and file complaints. In several countries, this shift has led to a sharp rise in requests across housing, finance, justice, and parliamentary systems.
In the United Kingdom, complaints to the housing ombudsman have climbed from 2,600 in 2022 to more than 7,000 last year. In the United States, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recorded a fivefold increase in complaints over the same period. Similar patterns have also appeared in Brazil and Germany.
Researcher Chris Schmitz describes this trend as agentic flooding. In a paper scheduled for presentation at the AI Ethics and Society conference, he examined 84 cases across 11 jurisdictions and found broad evidence that AI tools are transforming access to public services.
The picture is mixed: some submissions may be excessive or automated, while many others appear to come from people with valid claims who previously struggled with complex application processes. Schmitz argues that this may be less a problem to contain than an opportunity to redesign services for the AI era.
As AI assistants become more capable and more widely available, public institutions may need to rethink how they handle digital applications, verification, and support. The next phase could bring more accessible services built around faster, smarter, and more inclusive systems.
