Fighting for public records is more common in Pennsylvania, sometimes aided by AI

By: Jaxon White/WITF, March 19, 2026

“More people than ever are fighting denials for public records from their counties, school boards and other public agencies in Pennsylvania.

Many appellants are turning to artificial intelligence to help in their efforts.

Liz Wagenseller is the executive director of Pennsylvania’s Office of Open Records, which decides whether to reverse a public records request denied by a government agency. Her agency has seen a “real explosion” of appeals in recent months, Wagenseller said, thanks in part to the spread of AI.

“Around September, we started to see evidence of AI being used in appeals,” Wagenseller said. “If you compare the recent six months to six months a year ago at that same time, there’s been a 64% increase in appeals — an enormous increase.””