Public services around the world are seeing a sharp rise in the number of applications and complaints, with some experts linking this trend to the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT. In the United Kingdom, the number of complaints to the housing ombudsman more than doubled between 2022 and 2023, rising from 2,600 to over 7,000. In the United States, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) reported a fivefold increase in complaints over the same period. Similar increases were observed in Brazil, where judicial petitions rose, and in Germany, where parliamentary complaints saw a notable jump. This phenomenon is being studied by researcher Chris Schmitz, who refers to it as "agentic flooding." In a paper to be presented at the AI Ethics and Society conference, Schmitz examined 84 cases from 11 different countries. His research suggests that while it is not yet clear whether AI directly caused the surge in complaints and applications, many of the cases show a clear pattern: before 2022, the number of submissions remained relatively stable, but after the widespread availability of AI tools like ChatGPT, the rate of increase accelerated. In most of the cases studied, this upward trend has continued without slowing down, raising concerns about its future trajectory. Schmitz explains that not all of the new filings are from people trying to exploit the system. Many are from individuals with legitimate claims who used AI tools to submit applications that they might have otherwise abandoned due to the complexity of the process. He draws a comparison to the bug-bounty industry, where companies faced a flood of low-quality reports from AI-generated content last year. However, unlike that scenario, most of the increased filings in public services are from real people with valid requests. Schmitz suggests that AI tools are helping reduce the administrative barriers that previously discouraged people from applying for benefits or services. Schmitz views this trend not as a problem but as an opportunity to modernize public services for the AI era. He highlights how the ease of using AI tools—such as copying text or taking a photo with an app like Claude to get a response—can make it simpler for people to navigate complex processes. While he acknowledges the challenge of managing this increased volume with current resources, he sees the situation as a chance to rethink how public services operate in an age where AI is increasingly accessible and integrated into daily life.