Prof. Dr. Emanuel V. Towfigh and Benedikt Surmann have developed a new tool that adds an exciting dimension to legal teaching: the Smartbot Grundrechte [Smartbot Fundamental Rights]. Students can now have constitutional law questions answered by the chatbot based on ChatGPT – directly, comprehensibly and on the basis of the Smartbook Grundrechte.

The Smartbot is a pilot project of the chair, with which we want to gain initial experience in the use of artificial intelligence in legal teaching. The starting point is a clear observation, which is also supported by studies: Students are already making intensive use of AI systems such as ChatGPT for their studies. We not only want to understand this change in learning behavior, but also actively help shape it.

However, one central problem with the use of generative AI remains: the content is not always reliable – and accuracy is essential, especially in a legal context. In order to create a solid basis here, the Smartbot relies exclusively on the Smartbook Fundamental Rights – the open access textbook by Prof. Dr. Emanuel V. Towfigh and Alexander Gleixner (1st ed. 2022), which presents the central constitutional law topics in a clearly structured question-and-answer format.

Our goal: a tool that not only provides technically correct answers, but also gives students the opportunity to check them directly against the textbook – and thus engage more intensively with the content.

Of course, the Smartbot is not a finished product. But that is precisely what makes it interesting: where are the opportunities, where are the limits? How can AI be meaningfully integrated into legal teaching? What requirements must such a system fulfill – both technically and didactically? And how will learning change as a result of such tools?

These questions are guiding us in the further development of the project – and we welcome any feedback from the student body. If you have any questions, please contact benedikt.surmann@ebs.edu.

[Translated with DeepL]