Public services worldwide are experiencing a significant surge in application volumes as AI tools simplify the process of filing forms and complaints. Research by Chris Schmitz identifies this trend as agentic flooding, noting that submission rates remained stable until 2022 before accelerating rapidly.
Data from the United Kingdom shows that complaints to the housing ombudsman grew from 2600 in 2022 to over 7000 in the following year. Similarly, the United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported a fivefold increase in complaints during the same period, with comparable growth observed in Brazil and Germany.
Schmitz analyzed 84 cases across 11 jurisdictions, ranging from welfare applications to judicial appeals. While some submissions are adversarial, the researcher suggests that most originate from legitimate applicants who previously avoided complex administrative procedures due to the high effort required.
The influx of AI-generated requests creates resource challenges for public agencies similar to those faced by bug-bounty programs last year. Despite the operational strain, Schmitz views this shift as an opportunity to modernize social services and reduce administrative burdens for citizens.
