British Workers Use ChatGPT Instead of Lawyers, Overwhelming the Justice System
OpenAI
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The use of AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Grok by British employees to file employment claims has surged, causing a hundredfold increase in interim relief applications. This has led to a 39% rise in claims and a 55% increase in the backlog of unresolved cases.
According to a memo from judges Barry Clarke and Susan Walker, the number of interim relief applications in British employment tribunals has increased a hundredfold. Employees are using ChatGPT or Grok to create legal filings for free instead of paying lawyers. This has resulted in 39% more claims in the year to March 2026, and the backlog of unresolved cases has grown by 55% to 64,000. Many AI-generated filings are hundreds of pages long, containing invented laws and unrealistic demands. The situation may worsen: the Labour government's Employment Rights Act adds about 25 new grounds for claims and removes compensation caps. The Economist describes this as a 'tragedy of the commons', as employees with legitimate complaints face longer waits for justice, and employers face higher legal costs to respond to claims. In the US, a judge called AI-generated lawsuits an 'existential threat to federal courts'. However, a study from Pakistan shows a different approach can work: judges there processed more cases faster with AI access and training.
Source: The Decoder (DE) —
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