In a joint project between the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture (Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft – LfL) and the University of Passau, the opportunities and risks accompanying the deployment of Large Language Models (LLMs) in the agricultural sector – with a particular focus on agriculture in Bavaria – are being comprehensively investigated. Prof. Dr. Kai von Lewinski is responsible for the legal assessment.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers potential for innovative solutions in the agricultural sector. In particular, the use of chatbots to support advisory services and knowledge transfer promises efficiency gains – both for farmers and through the transfer of knowledge within the agricultural administration. Until now, however, there are no studies on the practicality and acceptance of such agricultural chatbots. Furthermore, the specific legal framework and liability issues surrounding the deployment of AI in the public sector have hardly been addressed in legal literature so far. The project 'Agricultural AI Chatbot: Evaluation, Optimisation, and Strategy Development', funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism (Staatsministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft, Forsten und Tourismus – StMELF), aims to close these research gaps.
The project is based on an agricultural chatbot prototype developed by IBM, which accesses the websites of the StMELF and the LfL for its information. The prototype will be subjected to field testing and technically optimised on the basis of the findings. At the same time, an in-depth review of the legal requirements for operating such a chatbot is being conducted at the Chair of Public Law, Media and Information Law, headed by Prof. Dr. Kai von Lewinski. The issues to be examined lie at the intersection of several areas of law and relate in particular to intellectual property and data protection law, the provision of information by public authorities and the (state) liability risks associated with the use of an AI chatbot as an advisory tool.
The legal report is intended to facilitate practical recommendations for the agricultural administration. Based on the report and the findings from the field test, specific operating scenarios for an agricultural chatbot shall be developed in a stakeholder workshop. The results of the project shall then be incorporated into the AI strategy of the StMELF and its subordinate authorities.
| Principal Investigator(s) at the University | Prof. Dr. Kai von Lewinski (Lehrstuhl für Öffentliches Recht, Medien- und Informationsrecht) |
|---|---|
| Project period | 01.10.2025 - 31.01.2027 |
| Source of funding |
BayStMELFT - Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft, Forsten und Tourismus
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| Projektnummer | A/25/08 |
