Characterizing Agentic Flooding of Government Services

The integration of AI agents, particularly large language models (LLMs), is enhancing public accessibility to government services by simplifying interactions and information access. However, this increased accessibility carries a significant risk of 'agentic flooding,' where surges in demand generated by AI agents could overwhelm and strain unprepared government services. Initial research identifies 84 potential cases across 11 jurisdictions, suggesting this is an occurring phenomenon, predominantly driven by the low-cost generation of text by LLMs. Further analysis is underway to identify the services most vulnerable to this type of flooding.

This development highlights a critical intersection of technological advancement and operational resilience in public services. Understanding and mitigating 'agentic flooding' is essential for maintaining efficient governance and preventing service disruptions as AI adoption expands, ensuring that technological progress genuinely improves, rather than compromises, public service delivery.

AI agents are actively improving public interaction with government services.

Forward consideration, not a verified fact.