INTERVIEW: Education and Ethics as the Path to the Responsible Use of AI

Peter Štrpka gave an interview for the Bulletin of the Slovak Bar Association in which he highlights the importance of education and ethics in a time of the rapid development of artificial intelligence.

Peter Štrpka, Chairman of the Disciplinary Commission of the Slovak Bar Association and founding partner of law firm soukeník — štrpka, gave an interview for the Bulletin of the Slovak Bar Association in which he discusses the challenges associated with the rise of artificial intelligence in legal practice. In his view, it is essential that lawyers and future attorneys acquire the appropriate technical knowledge while at the same time preserving the fundamental values of the legal profession.

In the interview, he agrees that the use of AI can significantly streamline the processing of documents and data, but at the same time emphasises that its outputs must always be reviewed by an experienced attorney who bears full responsibility for the legal services provided. “AI remains a tool, not a colleague,” he adds, warning that no responsible attorney should ever disclose confidential client information in an open AI application.

In the context of education, he notes that technical knowledge alone is not sufficient. In his view, it is also necessary to return to the foundations of legal education – to the teaching of legal doctrines, ethics, and the basic principles of law. “Our objective should be to participate in the education of future lawyers in such a way that they never become mere ‘throughput heaters’ of artificial intelligence.”

You can read the full interview online by clicking this link, or download the full Bulletin of Slovak Advocacy 1/2025 (PDF), where it can be found on page 6.