Artificial Intelligence in the Public Sector - Newsletter
In an interview for the newsletter of the Center for Human Resources Development and Regional Initiatives - Stara Zagora, the co-founders of the AI-powered legal product "Praven Intelekt", Siyanna Lilova and Georgi Hristov, explore one of the most pressing topics of recent times: the role of artificial intelligence in the public sector.
Their journey into the world of artificial intelligence began not with technology, but with law. As they shared, it all started with the wonder of watching AI generate coherent, even captivating text, art, and music. But alongside that amazement came the legal questions too - what are the lawful and unlawful applications of this technology? What legal frameworks should shape its evolution? And, most importantly, how can artificial intelligence be governed so that it serves rather than harms society?
"Unlike machines," they note, "we cannot separate emotion from decision-making. That is at once our weakness and our strength." While AI models work on dry data, human lawyers still put their hearts into their practice - empathy, caution, and ethical considerations.
When asked about the central problem in the legal application of AI - security or ethics - the answer is clear: both. Security is the outer shell that ensures the data shared with an AI will not leak or become part of the model's training set. Ethics, however, is the inner compass - one that requires a deep societal consensus which, unfortunately, remains largely an unresolved matter.
What does this mean for public servants?
Hristov and Lilova emphasize that public servants must not only use AI lawfully and transparently, but also ensure that it respects privacy, avoids discrimination, and supports accountability. "Citizens deserve to know when AI has played a role in a given decision - and why," they say.
Ultimately, as they conclude, AI is not a sentient being - it is a tool. It reflects our design and our intentions. It is up to us to provide trust, fairness, and oversight over its use.
Read the full interview in the October 2025 newsletter of the Center for Human Resources Development and Regional Initiatives - Stara Zagora.
