AI slop is clogging court and complaint systems

Councils, authorities, and caseworkers are finding it increasingly difficult to manage the deluge of complaints resulting from the popularity of AI chatbots. These digital assistants have made it easier than ever to draft and submit complaints, leading to a significant backlog in the response process and courts. Workers are facing longer hours without any additional budget, and public bodies are struggling to keep up with the excessive number and length of complaints.

The AI-generated complaints are problematic due to potential inaccuracies, as these systems can "hallucinate" or reference irrelevant sources. This issue, often referred to as "AI slop," is causing significant headaches for courts and lawyers, who must sift through correspondence filled with flawed legal language. Hollie Wickens, a senior caseworker, stated that half of the emails received in her office are AI-generated, making her job more taxing.

Before the advent of AI, submitting a complaint required more effort and expertise, which acted as a natural filter against spurious complaints. However, with the release of AI chatbots like ChatGPT to the general public, it is now effortless to draft and submit a complaint. Unfortunately, this has resulted in complaints that are "very long, repetitive, and contain unrelated comments or misdirected demands."

In addition to the challenges posed by these complaints, businesses are also facing significant financial burdens due to legal disputes involving former employees who have used AI chatbots to draft legal documents. Companies and authorities are considering various solutions to address this growing issue. Some are proposing word limits on complaint forms or moving to template forms to reduce the number of repetitive AI-generated complaints.

Another option is to use AI to help summarize and process complaints, although this approach also comes with its own set of potential problems.