British civic tech organisation mySociety has published analysis examining how AI-driven requests and automated processes are straining public sector capacity. The research investigates whether government administrations are structurally equipped to handle a scenario where citizens and businesses use AI tools to generate enquiries, appeals and freedom of information requests at scale.
The warning reflects a practical challenge facing public bodies across the UK: existing staff and systems were designed for conventional request volumes. Mass-generated AI enquiries could overwhelm intake workflows without corresponding investment in automation or staffing.
For government IT and operations managers, the finding underscores the need to assess current request-handling infrastructure and plan for demand spikes. Agencies relying on manual processing face the steepest risk. The analysis suggests that without proactive capacity planning, routine administrative backlogs could accelerate significantly within the next 12–18 months as AI adoption spreads among citizens and businesses filing official requests.
