Comment: AI can help with complaints, but please check the facts first
Andrew Murtha, an emh resident and Chair of the Resident Influence Committee (RIC), shares his perspective in his latest blog.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming part of everyday life. Many people now use it to help write emails, letters and complaints. It can be a genuinely useful tool, particularly for residents who may find it difficult to organise their thoughts or put their concerns into writing.
Used well, AI can help residents express their concerns clearly and ensure their voice is heard.
However, it is important to remember that AI is not always right.
Across the housing and complaints sectors, organisations are reporting an increase in complaints that appear highly professional, legally detailed and confidently written. While some are entirely accurate, others contain references to legislation, regulations or legal principles that are incorrect, irrelevant or can't be verified.
The Chief Property Ombudsman has highlighted how complaints are increasingly arriving with a polished and legally confident tone, but where some of the legal arguments are not always relevant or accurate.
Similarly, organisations working with social landlords are reporting cases where legislation has been incorrectly cited, legal obligations have been overstated or references have been included that can't be verified. Despite this, the complaints themselves often appear highly authoritative and persuasive at first glance.
My advice to any resident using AI to help prepare a complaint is simple: always check the facts before pressing send.
If AI suggests a law, regulation, Housing Ombudsman requirement or legal precedent, take a few minutes to verify that it is genuine and relevant to your situation. A complaint supported by accurate facts will always carry more weight than one filled with references that turn out to be incorrect.
There is another aspect that residents may not always consider.
A concern that could potentially be explained in one or two pages can sometimes become a lengthy submission when AI is allowed to expand every point. Housing professionals have reported seeing complaints that contain extensive legal arguments, procedural challenges and detailed references that require investigation and verification before a full response can be provided.
Of course, residents have every right to submit complaints in whatever format they choose. Complaints are an essential part of accountability and an important way of ensuring that services improve.
However, there is often a practical balance to be struck.
When a relatively straightforward issue becomes buried within many pages of AI-generated text, there is a risk that attention is diverted away from the core problem that needs resolving. What could have been understood and addressed quickly can sometimes become a much longer process, requiring additional investigation and response time.
In many cases, the most effective complaints remain the simplest ones. Clearly explaining:
- what happened
- why you're unhappy
- what impact it has had on you
- what outcome you'd like to see
will often help everyone focus on resolving the issue as quickly as possible.
Personally, I see AI as a useful assistant rather than a replacement for human judgement. It can help us communicate more clearly, structure our thoughts and present our concerns in a logical way. Those are all positive developments.
But accuracy still matters. Taking a little time to check the facts and keeping complaints focused on the issue you want resolved can help ensure that concerns are dealt with fairly, efficiently and effectively.
Ultimately, both residents and landlords want the same thing: a fair hearing, a clear answer, and where something has gone wrong, a prompt resolution.
Your voice matters: complaints and feedback
You can find information about how to make a complaint, what to expect from the process and how to share feedback on our complaints and feedback page.
We welcome complaints and feedback because they help us understand what's working well, where we can improve and how we can deliver better services for residents.