Fights for public records rise in Pa., sometimes aided by AI
Fights for public records rise in Pa., sometimes aided by AI
Publish Date: 2026-03-19 17:33:00
Source Domain: www.witf.org
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Rising Appeal for Public Records: The number of appeals for denied public records requests has significantly increased in Pennsylvania, partly due to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to aid in these appeals.
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AI in Record Appeals: Many appellants are using AI to help them contest denials, though it often results in “hallucinated” case law and citations.
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Legislative Proposal: Senators Tracy Pennycuick and Rosemary Brown propose allowing agency record officers to deny requests likely generated by AI, though they suggest caution in addressing unverified AI use.
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Public Awareness and Transparency: The increase in appeals reflects growing public awareness of their rights, indicating efforts towards greater government transparency despite significant barriers.
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Volume and Type of Requests: County governments received the highest number of appeals, reflecting significant demand and resource constraints faced by local agencies in managing records requests.
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Agency Defenses: Noncriminal and criminal investigative records, along with employee notes and draft documents, are commonly cited exemptions that pose significant barriers to public access.
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Call for Reforms: Transparency advocates advocate for reforms that simplify access to information, such as allowing access to closed investigations, and addressing the abuse of extension rules to delay responses.
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Local and State Agency Challenges: Agencies often take advantage of extended response times, which delays the release of information that should be publicly available.
