There are many generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools. These include platforms like ChatGPT, Google Gemini or Microsoft Copilot. These tools can generate text when given a prompt and are being used to write complaints.

AI can increase accessibility 

AI can help vulnerable people by enabling them to put their complaint into words. AI can help people make their complaint clearer. This benefits agencies so they can understand a complaint and how to help a person. 

Recognising AI generated complaints

AI‑generated complaints may:

• use very formal or legal language
• follows a rigid or highly structured format
• repeats similar phrases
• includes long or complex sentences
• refers to laws or policies that do not clearly relate
• contains errors or incorrect facts
• sometimes include “[insert information]” which has been missed

It does not matter if AI was used if you can understand the problem. 

If a complaint is unclear

Ask them to explain it in their own words. You can contact the complainant by phone or in writing to get a clearer understanding. You could say something like:

It looks like you may have used AI to write this complaint which has made it difficult for us to understand. 

Please explain your complaint and the outcome you are seeking in your own words.

Let people know you prefer it in their own words

Let complainants know that you prefer to get their complaint in their own words. 

For example, we have added a sentence to the top of our complaint form that simply says ‘Tell us what happened in your own words’.

When AI is used to reframe a complaint 

You may find that complainants use AI to challenge your response. They might use it to reframe their complaint to challenge the outcome.  It is ok to identify the use of AI and ask for clarification. 

We have used responses such as:

AI-generated content may have incorrect legal references. It might give you information that is not directly relevant.

Your response appears to be generated by AI. It may not have accurately interpreted the information we provided to you.Help people to use AI in a way that works for you

Help them get their complaint to you in a way you can understand it. You can help by creating a simple prompt. 

An example of this is: 

Write a complaint to the [agency] which is simple, clear and explains in my own voice [insert what has happed]. 

Explain that I want [insert what you want to happen].