Around the world, Ombudsman schemes, institutions, governments and international organisations are grappling with the same challenge: how to harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) while protecting fairness, accountability and access to justice. Bodies such as the United Nations, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Council of Europe have all emphasised that AI must strengthen not undermine human rights, transparency and the rule of law.
As public services increasingly adopt AI, Ombudsman schemes have an important global role in ensuring that technology does not silence those who are already least likely to be heard. By bringing together many individual experiences, an Ombudsman can identify emerging systemic risks and help ensure innovation remains centred on people, fairness and justice. AI has the potential to improve service provision and complaint handling by making processes faster and more efficient. However, if used without proper safeguards, it can also make systems less transparent, harder to challenge and more likely to repeat mistakes at scale.
For an Ombudsman, the question is not whether to use AI, but how to use it in a way that strengthens access to justice rather than weakens it.
Small voices matter
One of an Ombudsman’s greatest strengths is giving a voice to people who might otherwise struggle to be heard.
Individual complaints may seem small on their own, but when viewed together they can reveal wider problems in public services. What starts as one person's experience can expose systemic failings affecting thousands of others.
AI could help identify these patterns more quickly by analysing large volumes of complaints. But technology must never replace listening to individuals. Every complaint represents a real person whose experience provides context that data alone cannot.
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 16 links access to justice directly with effective, accountable and inclusive institutions. The OECD similarly treats equal access to justice as a foundation of democracy, institutional trust and sustainable development, making this a global consideration
Access to justice is about more than courts
Most people experience justice through everyday interactions with service providers (whether public or private), not through the courts.
Access to justice means people can understand decisions made about them, challenge those decisions when necessary, have their concerns properly considered and receive fair, understandable and timely outcomes.
Ombudsman schemes play a vital role because they provide an accessible, independent route to redress while also driving learning and improvement across organisations.
AI should support people, not replace them
AI has clear benefits for Ombudsman schemes. It can help:
- summarise case files;
- organise evidence;
- identify similar complaints;
- spot emerging trends; and
- reduce administrative burden.
This should give investigators more time to focus on what matters most: listening, exercising judgement, showing empathy and making fair decisions.
However, AI should never replace meaningful human engagement with complainants.
Why human oversight matters
Human oversight must be genuine, not just a rubber stamp.
Caseworkers should understand AI's limitations, verify its outputs against original evidence and always retain responsibility for decisions. Accountability must remain with people, not algorithms.
Key takeaways for Ombudsman schemes
- Keep people at the centre. AI should free up time for better conversations, not reduce human contact.
- Protect access to justice. Technology should make complaint systems easier to access, especially for vulnerable and digitally excluded people.
- Listen for patterns in small voices. AI can help identify emerging systemic issues, but individual experiences remain essential evidence.
- Maintain independence and accountability. Human investigators must remain responsible for decisions and recommendations.
- Use AI responsibly. Clear governance, transparency, privacy safeguards and ongoing monitoring are essential.
- Measure success by fairness, not just efficiency. Faster processes only matter if they also improve trust, accessibility and outcomes.
The central message
The future is not an automated Ombudsman; it is a more human Ombudsman, supported by well-governed AI that helps investigators hear more people, identify systemic issues sooner and improve access to justice, while ensuring that no voice is too small to make a difference.
For more information on The Ombuds Group, go to www.ombuds.group.
