As of 13 August 2026, AI can complete your Freedom of Information request.
This still needs a person who signs their name to it.
Can you do it?
5 minutesto a draft.
15 minutesto something you’d act on.
Cost, all in£0
Skill needednone
Who has to check ityou
What the alternative costsThe supplied tool data gives no price for a service that prepares Freedom of Information requests.
If this goes wrong: the authority may ask you to clarify the request or return information that is too broad to be useful, and you can usually submit a narrower follow-up.
What to actually do
Hand it to a person
The route this page recommends
A person who owns the outcome does this end to end, worth it when the failure is dear.
Do it yourself
Second choiceA chat interface, no skill needed, and roughly 15 minutes until you can act on the result.
How to actually do it
- Open the relevant public authority's website and find its Freedom of Information contact details or online request route.
- Write down the authority's exact name, the recorded information you want, any relevant service or project, the period covered and the format you prefer.
- Remove names and other details that identify private individuals, and move requests for your own personal data to a separate subject access request.
- Paste the details into the prompt and ask the chatbot to produce the draft and its verification checklist.
- Compare every item in the draft against your original information list, deleting questions that ask for opinions, explanations or unnecessary background.
- Check the authority name, contact route, scope, period and requested format against the authority's website, then correct any invented or uncertain detail.
- Send the final request through the authority's stated email or online route and keep a copy of the request and any acknowledgement.
Prompt
Draft a ready-to-send UK Freedom of Information request using the details below. Public authority: [NAME OF COUNCIL, NHS BODY, DEPARTMENT OR OTHER PUBLIC AUTHORITY] Information I want: [DESCRIBE THE RECORDED INFORMATION, NOT THE EXPLANATION OR OPINION YOU WANT] Relevant subject, service or project: [DETAILS] Relevant period: [PERIOD, IF ANY] Preferred format: [EMAIL, SPREADSHEET, PDF OR OTHER] Why I need it, if relevant: [OPTIONAL CONTEXT] Use plain, neutral British English. Ask only for recorded information that the authority is likely to hold. Make the request narrow enough to answer and separate each item clearly. Do not invent facts, legal rights, names, dates, email addresses or records. Do not ask for personal data about identifiable people through Freedom of Information. If any wording could instead be a subject access request, explain that separately without drafting legal advice. Include a short subject line and a message suitable for email. Before the draft, list any missing detail that could materially change the request. After the draft, give me a checklist of the recipient, scope, period, format and any personal-data risk to verify before sending. State that this is not professional advice.
Open it prefilled in ChatGPT or Claude, or copy it into Gemini, which takes no prefill link.
Use a tool built for this
The distant third
What it gets wrong
- AI cannot know which authority holds the records unless you identify the correct body and check its current contact route.
- AI cannot reliably predict whether a broad request will be refused, narrowed or answered under an exemption.
- AI cannot turn a request for an explanation or opinion into records that the authority does not hold.
- AI cannot decide whether a sensitive dispute needs a strategic request, an internal review or a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office.
- AI cannot submit the request or take responsibility for your choice of wording and recipient.
Even on a YES, the friction has a name: judgement under ambiguity, context depth and verification cost.
How we scored this
Five axes, each scored nought to two by hand: ten means AI carries the task cleanly, and the thresholds that turn a total into YES, PARTLY or NO are published in the methodology. Each axis name links to its definition.
| Axis | Score (0–2) |
|---|---|
| Output | 2 |
| Inputs | 2 |
| Verification | 1 |
| Liability | 2 |
| Effort delta | 2 |
| Total | 9 / 10 |
The methodology and its thresholds are published in full.
FAQ
- Can ChatGPT write a Freedom of Information request?
- Yes. It can turn a clear description of the records you want into a structured UK request that you can check and send. It cannot know which authority holds the records or whether your wording will avoid an exemption.
- Can AI submit a Freedom of Information request for me?
- It can prepare the message, but you normally need to check the recipient and send it through the authority's email or online route. Keep a copy of what you sent and any acknowledgement.
- What should I include in a Freedom of Information request?
- State the recorded information you want, identify the authority, narrow the subject and period, and say what format you prefer. Do not ask for personal data about identifiable people through Freedom of Information, and do not rely on AI to invent missing details.
- Is using AI for a Freedom of Information request legal advice?
- No, this is not professional advice. For a serious dispute, a complex exemption issue or a review of a refusal, speak to a solicitor or obtain guidance from the Information Commissioner's Office.
Nearby answers
Assessed by gpt-5.6-luna (gpt-5.6-luna) on 2026-08-13, second-checked by an independent model. Wrong somewhere? Email [email protected] and it gets re-checked.
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