Albania Appoints AI 'Minister' to Combat Corruption in Public Procurement

Albania's PM wants to appoint an AI to his ministry

Incorruptible e-government AnswerBot 'Djella', which reportedly runs in Azure, given job of running public procurement Albania's prime minister has proposed appointing an artificial intelligence as a minister. Speaking at his socialist party's annual conference yesterday, prime minister Edi Rama named his planned ministry, and suggested the nation's government services chatbot "Djella" for a promotion to the ministry. According to a session description for the 2025 European Political Community Summit, which Albania hosted in May 2025, Djella started life in 2024 as a virtual assistant that Albanian citizens could use to answer questions about government services. Version 2.0, launched in early 2025, was "an intelligent avatar integrating natural language understanding with vocal and visual interaction, providing real-time information for public services and online applications on e-Albania." By the time of the conference, Djella 3.0 was up and running and offered "full interaction through voice commands, allowing citizens to complete service requests using simple, conversational language -- marking a major step forward in digital government accessibility." Local news reports suggest Djella runs on Microsoft's Azure OpenAI service, plus "the latest artificial intelligence models" from the software giant. In his speech, Rama said he expects his new ministers to increase the pace of innovation, likening their role to that of a basketball coach who makes constant personnel and tactical shifts, rather than a football coach who makes just three substitutions in each match. The PM wants Djella to "become the servant of public procurements", all of which he wants conducted by AI, "making Albania a country where public tenders are 100 percent incorruptible and where every public fund that goes through the tender procedure is 100 percent legible." "This is not science fiction, but it is one of Djella's duties," Rama added. "Djella's mandate will have neither geographical nor nationality limits, and the structure supporting it will have the authorization to hire here, or contract talents from all over the world." Albania's constitution makes several mentions of "legal persons" and includes "a pledge to protect human dignity and personhood." It also requires the PM to seek approval for ministerial appointments from the nation's president, and for incoming ministers to swear before the president. His excellency Bajram Begaj, for it is he who holds the office of president, will therefore have the final word on whether Djella can become a minister. ®

Albania appoints AI bot as minister to tackle corruption

PRISTINA, Sept 11 (Reuters) - A new minister in Albania charged to handle public procurement will be impervious to bribes, threats, or attempts to curry favour. That is because Diella, as she is called, is an AI-generated bot. Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is about to begin his fourth term, said on Thursday that Diella, which means "sun" in Albanian, will manage and award all public tenders in which the government contracts private companies for various projects. "Diella is the first cabinet member who isn't physically present, but is virtually created by AI," Rama said during a speech unveiling his new cabinet. She will help make Albania "a country where public tenders are 100% free of corruption." The awarding of such contracts has long been a source of corruption scandals in Albania, a Balkan country that experts say is a hub for gangs seeking to launder their money from trafficking drugs and weapons across the world, and where graft has reached the corridors of power. That image has complicated Albania's accession to the European Union, which Rama wants to achieve by 2030 but which political analysts say is ambitious. The government did not provide details of what human oversight there might be for Diella, or address risks that someone could manipulate the artificial intelligence bot. Diella originally launched early this year as an AI-powered virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform, helping citizens and businesses obtain state documents. Dressed in traditional Albanian attire, she provides assistance through voice commands and issues documents with electronic stamps, reducing bureaucratic delays. Not everyone is convinced. One Facebook user said: "Even Diella will be corrupted in Albania." Another said: "Stealing will continue and Diella will be blamed." The new parliament, elected in May, is scheduled to convene on Friday, though it remains unclear if the government will be voted on the same day. Reporting by Florion Goga, writing by Fatos Bytyci Editing by Rod Nickel Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Albania's leader says his new Cabinet includes an AI 'minister' to fight corruption

TIRANA, Albania (AP) -- Albania's leader said Friday his new cabinet will include an artificial intelligence "minister" that will be in charge of running public funding projects and fighting corruption in public tenders. Prime Minister Edi Rama said Diella, whose name means "Sun" in Albanian, is a "member of the Cabinet who is not present physically but has been created virtually from artificial intelligence." Rama said Diella would help ensure that "public tenders will be 100% free of corruption." Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania public service platform, where she helps users navigate the site while wearing traditional Albanian folk costume. Rama's Socialist Party secured a fourth consecutive term after winning 83 of the 140 Assembly seats in the May 11 parliamentary elections. The party can govern alone and pass most legislation, but it needs a two-thirds majority, or 93 seats, to change the Constitution. The Socialists have said it can deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, with negotiations concluding by 2027. The pledge has been met with skepticism by the Democrats, who contend Albania is far from prepared. The conservative Democratic Party-led coalition, headed by former prime minister and President Sali Berisha, won 50 seats. The party has not accepted the official election results, claiming irregularities, but its members participated in the new parliament's inaugural session. The remaining seats went to four smaller parties. Legal experts say more work may be needed to establish Diella's official status. Corruption has remained a top issue in the Western Balkan country since the fall of the communist regime in 1990. Parliament began the process to swear in new lawmakers Friday. Later in the day, lawmakers are expected to elect a new speaker and deputies and formally present Rama's new cabinet.

World's first AI minister will eliminate corruption, says Albania's PM

Diella had already been working in Albania even before the government "appointment". Her first incarnation was as an AI-powered virtual assistant, guiding applicants through the process to obtain official documents. Rama boasts that Diella has "helped more than a million applications" on the e-Albania platform. But his vision for AI's government role is a lot grander than a mere chatbot. He talks of "leapfrogging" bigger, more advanced countries, which are still locked into "traditional ways of working". Reactions to Diella's new role are, understandably, mixed. The opposition Democratic Party has labelled the initiative "ridiculous" and "unconstitutional". But others are cautiously optimistic. The founder of financial services company Balkans Capital, Aneida Bajraktari Bicja, notes that Edi Rama "often mixes reform with theatrics, so it's natural people wonder if this is symbolism". But she says the "'AI minister' could be constructive if it develops into real systems that improve transparency and trust in public procurement". Anti-corruption experts have also noted the potential for AI to be deployed to minimise graft. "AI is still a new tool - but if it is programmed correctly, when you put a bid in online, you can see clearly and more closely if a company meets the conditions and the criteria," says Dr Andi Hoxhaj of King's College London, a specialist in the Western Balkans, corruption and the rule of law. He believes Albania's rapid progress in EU accession talks and encouragement from Brussels to complete the negotiations by 2027 mean that the country has a powerful incentive to tackle graft. "There's a lot at stake," he says. "The main precondition from the EU has been to address corruption. If [Diella] is a vehicle or mechanism that could be used towards that goal, it's worth exploring." Edi Rama does not deny that there is an element of a publicity stunt to his latest wheeze. But he insists that there is serious intent behind the playful presentation. "It puts pressure on other members of the cabinet and national agencies to run and think differently. This is the biggest advantage I'm expecting from this minister," he says. In other words, ministers beware: AI could be coming for their jobs as well.

Albania Names AI Chatbot as New Corruption Minister

Hey Siri, has anyone succumbed to the corrupting influence of money and power today? Earlier this week, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that the country would institute a new minister focused on corruption. That minister: Diella, an AI-powered chatbot. Diella, which is Albanian for "Sun," has been up and running the Albanian government since January of this year, when it launched as a virtual assistant designed to help citizens navigate e-Albania, a digital platform for accessing government services. According to reporting from CNN affiliate A2 at the time of its launch, the chatbot is built on OpenAI's large language model and Microsoft's Azure cloud platform. And while it was initially tasked with helping people interact with government systems, it is now being charged with monitoring for potential corruption within the government. “Diella, the first cabinet member who is not physically present, but has been virtually created by AI,†Rama said Thursday, according to The Guardian, and will aim to create “a country where public tenders are 100% free of corruption." The task of awarding government contracts will be taken out of the hands of ministries and entrusted entirely to Diella, which Rama called "the servant of public procurement," according to Politico. In its new role, the chatbot will be used to review every proposal made by private companies to fulfill government contracts and assess each bid on its merits. Per Rama, the AI tool will have the ability to award contracts to "talents here from all over the world," while mitigating "the fear of prejudice and rigidity of the administration." Corruption in government contracts is a major issue for Albania, which has been seeking accession into the European Union since 2009. The EU has repeatedly criticized the country for corruption and encouraged it to adopt new rules to help crack down on the problem to solidify its application to become a member state. To its credit, Albania has made progress on that front, passing major legal reforms that led to the removal of many judges and prosecutors with ties to criminal organizations. Of course, AI is not itself objective or free of bias and is heavily informed by the source information that it is trained on. But it presumably is less likely to succumb to some human temptations, and there is some research to suggest that AI tools can be deployed to help in procurement integrity, fraud detection, and anti-money laundering effortsâ€"though that assumes it is being deployed in a way that doesn't simply serve the interests of those who are deploying it. Power tends to corrupt, so we'll have to see how well data holds up.

Albania puts AI-created 'minister' in charge of public procurement

Edi Rama, PM, says digital assistant Diella will make Albania 'a country where public tenders are 100% free of corruption' A digital assistant that helps people navigate government services online has become the first "virtually created" AI cabinet minister and put in charge of public procurement in an attempt to cut down on corruption, the Albanian prime minister has said. Diella, which means Sun in Albanian, has been advising users on the state's e-Albania portal since January, helping them through voice commands with the full range of bureaucratic tasks they need to perform in order to access about 95% of citizen services digitally. "Diella, the first cabinet member who is not physically present, but has been virtually created by AI", would help make Albania "a country where public tenders are 100% free of corruption", Edi Rama said on Thursday. Announcing the makeup of his fourth consecutive government at the ruling Socialist party conference in Tirana, Rama said Diella, who on the e-Albania portal is dressed in traditional Albanian costume, would become "the servant of public procurement". Responsibility for deciding the winners of public tenders would be removed from government ministries in a "step-by-step" process and handled by artificial intelligence to ensure "all public spending in the tender process is 100% clear", he said. Diella would examine every tender in which the government contracts private companies and objectively assess the merits of each, announced Rama, who was re-elected in May and has previously said he sees AI as a potentially effective anti-corruption tool that would eliminate bribes, threats and conflicts of interest. Public tenders have long been a source of corruption scandals in Albania, which experts say is a hub for international gangs seeking to launder money from trafficking drugs and weapons and where graft has extended into the upper reaches of government. Local media praised the move as "a major transformation in the way the Albanian government conceives and exercises administrative power, introducing technology not only as a tool, but also as an active participant in governance". Not everyone was convinced, however. "In Albania, even Diella will be corrupted," commented one Facebook user.

Albania Appoints an AI as Government Official

Albania has appointed the world's first-ever AI government official in hopes of rooting out some of the Balkan state's long-running corruption. As Politico Europe reports, the new AI minister -- which should not be confused with a minister of AI, which a few countries already have, including Canada and the United Arab Emirates -- has been dubbed "Diella," meaning "sunshine" in Albanian. Announced this week by Edi Rama, Albania's prime minster, Diella -- which also serves as the avatar for e-Albania, the country's government services portal -- will oversee public procurement, the process by which governments and state-owned companies buy, via taxpayer dollars, everything from office supplies to concrete for roadwork. Decisions about how that money is spent will, as Rama told a Socialist Party assembly in the Albanian capital of Tirana, all go through Diella in a "step-by-step" process that is "100 percent incorruptible, and where every public fund that goes through the tender procedure is 100 percent legible." "This is not science fiction," he said, per Politico, "but the duty of Diella." Along with being the nation's public procurer, the AI official will, the prime minister said, also "hire talents here from all over the world," and in doing so somehow drive down the "fear of prejudice and rigidity of the administration." Though it's unclear whether Diella the procurement minister will have the same underpinnings as the e-Albania government services assistant of the same name, reporting earlier this year from A2, a CNN affiliate in Albania, indicate that the latter was built on tech from from OpenAI and Microsoft. On the government services site, Diella is seen wearing a pink-and-white traditional Albanian dress and headscarf -- but as of now, it remains unclear whether the procurement minister version will be depicted wearing something similar. Though it's purported to root out corruption from drug traffickers and gangs who take advantage of the Albanian government's contracting system, Diella could, if left unsupervised, easily be exploited by any bad actor who knows how -- or could just plain make bad decisions, as we've seen time and again from AI built by companies including OpenAI. Still, it's a fascinating experiment in AI integration into government -- and quite possibly a sign of things to come elsewhere.

Meet Diella, the AI that's trying to end Albanian corruption

Albania's new cabinet minister focusing on corruption will never take a sick day and doesn't have any use for cash or power. Meet Deilla, the chatbot that's charged with running the country's public procurement in an effort to lower corruption by officials. It's something of a big promotion for the AI device, which had previously been assisting users who were encountering troubles navigating the state's e-Albania portal, a position it started in January. "Diella, the first cabinet member who is not physically present, but has been virtually created by AI", will help Albania become "a country where public tenders are 100% free of corruption," Prime Minister Edi Rama said earlier this week. As part of its new responsibilities, Diella will assess every proposal made by a private company, keeping an eye out for potential signs of money laundering, drug trafficking, or other illegal activities. From there, Diella will have the right to "hire talents here from all over the world," Rama said. Reports from earlier this year indicate Diella is built on large language models from OpenAI and Microsoft's Azure cloud platform. Corruption has been a problem in Albania for years and could be a key factor preventing the country from becoming a part of the European Union. Albania has been trying to join the EU since 2009, but justices have cited the country's rampant corruption as a roadblock. Rama said he's confident that the problem will be significantly reduced with Diella, adding that Albania will be a country where proposals are "100% incorruptible and where every public fund that goes through the tender procedure is 100% legible." It was earlier this summer that Rama first suggested the country could someday have a digital minister. No one expected it to happen this fast - and even fewer thought it would be the steward they had interacted with as they struggled to find court cases or required forms. As of Friday morning, Diella, who is reflected online in the avatar of a young woman dressed in traditional Albanian clothing, was pulling double duty, fulfilling both her new job as a cabinet minister and continuing to help people with their e-Albania questions.

Albania appoints world's first AI government 'minister' to root out co

The digital assistant, called Diella, is pictured as a woman dressed in traditional Albanian garb. Albania has appointed the world's first artificial intelligence-generated government "minister", aiming to make the country "corruption-free". The digital assistant is called Diella, meaning Sun, and has been advising people how to navigate government services online since January. On Thursday, Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the digital minister to his cabinet. "Diella is the first [government] member who is not physically present, but virtually created by artificial intelligence," Rama said. Diella will be entrusted with all decisions on public tenders, making them "100 per cent corruption-free," he said, adding that "every public fund submitted to the tender procedure will be perfectly transparent". Deciding on who wins public tenders will be removed from government ministries in a "step-by-step" process, Rama said, adding that AI would ensure "all public spending in the tender process is 100 per cent clear". Corruption in Albania is a sticking point for the country, which aims to join the European Union by 2030. Last year, the country ranked 80 out of 180 countries in Transparency International's corruption index, which ranks countries by their perceived levels of corruption in the public sector. Rama is expected to announce his cabinet in the coming days following his reelection win in May. Since its launch, Diella has been pictured as a woman dressed in traditional Albanian garb. It is unclear if it will keep its current form.

Albania appoints AI-generated minister to avoid corruption

Tirana (Albania) (AFP) - Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said Thursday he had appointed the world's first AI-generated government minister to oversee public tenders, promising its artificial intelligence would make it "corruption-free". Presenting his new cabinet at a meeting of his Socialist Party following a big May election victory, Rama introduced the new "member", named "Diella" -- "sun" in Albanian. "Diella is the first (government) member who is not physically present, but virtually created by artificial intelligence," Rama said. Diella will be entrusted with all decisions on public tenders, making them "100-percent corruption-free and every public fund submitted to the tender procedure will be perfectly transparent", he added. Diella was launched in January as an AI-powered virtual assistant -- resembling a woman dressed in traditional Albanian costume -- to help people use the official e-Albania platform that provides documents and services. So far, it has helped issue 36,600 digital documents and provided nearly 1,000 services through the platform, according to official figures. Rama, who secured a fourth term in office in the elections, is due to present his new cabinet to lawmakers in the coming days. The fight against corruption, particularly in the public administration, is a key criterion in Albania's bid to join the European Union. Rama aspires to lead the Balkan nation of 2.8 million people into the political bloc by 2030.

Albania's prime minister appoints an AI-generated 'minister' to tackle corruption

Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama says his new cabinet will include an artificial intelligence 'minister' in charge of fighting corruption. Albania's prime minister has appointed an artificial intelligence-generated "minister" to tackle corruption and promote innovation in his new cabinet. The new AI minister, officially named Diella - the female form of the word for sun in the Albanian language - was appointed on Friday and is a virtual entity. Diella will be a "member of the cabinet who is not present physically but has been created virtually," Prime Minister Edi Rama said in a post on Facebook. Mr Rama said the AI-generated bot would help ensure that "public tenders are completely free of corruption" and assist the government in operating more efficiently and transparently. Diella uses the latest AI models and methods to ensure accuracy in carrying out its assigned responsibilities, according to the website of Albania's National Agency for Information Society. Diella, portrayed wearing a traditional Albanian folk costume, was developed earlier this year in partnership with Microsoft. She serves as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania public service platform, helping users navigate the site and access around one million digital inquiries and documents. Mr Rama's Socialist Party won a fourth straight term by securing 83 out of 140 seats in the parliamentary elections in May. With this majority, the party can govern independently and pass most laws, though it falls short of the 93-seat threshold required to amend the Constitution. The Socialists have pledged to secure European Union membership for Albania within five years, aiming to complete negotiations by 2027 - a claim met with scepticism by the Democratic opposition, who argue the country is not ready. Read more from Sky News: All we know about suspect in Charlie Kirk's shooting UK joins NATO operation to bolster Europe's eastern flank The Western Balkan country began full EU membership negotiations a year ago. The incoming government now faces key challenges, including tackling organized crime and long-standing corruption - issues that have persisted since the end of communist rule in 1990. Diella is also expected to support local authorities in accelerating reforms and aligning with EU standards. President Bajram Begaj has tasked Prime Minister Rama with forming the new government, a move analysts say grants him the authority to establish and implement the AI-powered assistant Diella.

Albania's government debuts its AI 'minister' to parliament

TIRANA, Albania -- An AI-generated government "minister" was debuted in the Albanian parliament on Thursday, with Prime Minister Edi Rama presenting the bot as a symbol of his government's push for transparency and innovation. "The Constitution speaks of institutions at the people's service. It doesn't speak of chromosomes, of flesh or blood," the avatar declared in a three-minute address delivered from two large screens. "It speaks of duties, accountability, transparency, non-discriminatory service." "I assure you that I embody such values as strictly as every human colleague, maybe even more," added the artificial persona. It has been named Diella, which means sun in Albanian, and is depicted as a woman in traditional Albanian dress. Rama argued that the AI-generated bot will help the government work faster and with full transparency. It is one element in a larger plan to highlight the Balkan nation's technological innovations as it works toward European Union membership. Albania hopes to join the 27-member bloc by 2030. Opposition lawmakers are highly critical of the AI bot, and believe Diella is actually a way for the government to hide graft. They banged their hands on their tables, pushing the speaker to cut short the debate on the government program. The session ended after 25 minutes. They also boycotted a vote on the Cabinet's program, but it passed anyway with 82 votes in favor in the 140-seat parliament. The opposition did not explain how it thinks the government would exploit Diella to hide corruption in public finances. Diella was created earlier this year in cooperation with Microsoft as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania public service platform. It has helped users navigate the site and get access to about 1 million digital inquiries and documents. "I am not here to replace people but to help them," the bot said in its address to parliament. "True I have no citizenship, but I have no personal ambition or interests either."

Albania's government debuts its AI 'minister' to parliament

TIRANA, Albania (AP) -- An AI-generated government "minister" was debuted in the Albanian parliament on Thursday, with Prime Minister Edi Rama presenting the bot as a symbol of his government's push for transparency and innovation. "The Constitution speaks of institutions at the people's service. It doesn't speak of chromosomes, of flesh or blood," the avatar declared in a three-minute address delivered from two large screens. "It speaks of duties, accountability, transparency, non-discriminatory service." "I assure you that I embody such values as strictly as every human colleague, maybe even more," added the artificial persona. It has been named Diella, which means sun in Albanian, and is depicted as a woman in traditional Albanian dress. Rama argued that the AI-generated bot will help the government work faster and with full transparency. It is one element in a larger plan to highlight the Balkan nation's technological innovations as it works toward European Union membership. Albania hopes to join the 27-member bloc by 2030. Opposition lawmakers are highly critical of the AI bot, and believe Diella is actually a way for the government to hide graft. They banged their hands on their tables, pushing the speaker to cut short the debate on the government program. The session ended after 25 minutes. They also boycotted a vote on the Cabinet's program, but it passed anyway with 82 votes in favor in the 140-seat parliament. The opposition did not explain how it thinks the government would exploit Diella to hide corruption in public finances. Diella was created earlier this year in cooperation with Microsoft as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania public service platform. It has helped users navigate the site and get access to about 1 million digital inquiries and documents. "I am not here to replace people but to help them," the bot said in its address to parliament. "True I have no citizenship, but I have no personal ambition or interests either."

Albania's AI virtual assistant Diella just got promoted to 'minister'

Albania has turned to AI bot Diella to tackle public procurement, aiming to rein in the Balkan country's long-standing issues with corruption and organized crime. Albania's government AI-powered virtual assistant, which helps citizens obtain everything from driver's licenses to pension applications and court filings, has just become one of the world's first AI politicians. "Diella is the first cabinet member who isn't physically present, but is virtually created by AI," and jas been tasked with keeping Albania "100% free of corruption," Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama reportedly said in a National Assembly of the Socialist Party on Thursday. Its task will be to oversee all government procurement of goods and services from the private sector, which has led to a series of corruption scandals in Albania in recent decades. Reports state that Diella, which means "sun" in Albanian, had been serving as an AI-powered virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform, helping citizens and businesses obtain various state documents through voice commands and issuing documents with electronic stamps to reduce bureaucratic delays. Diella has reportedly helped issue more than 36,600 digital documents and provided nearly 1,000 services through the platform. Rama, however, didn't provide much detail on who would be accountable for mistakes made by Diella, what human oversight would exist, or how risks of the AI being manipulated would be handled. It marks one of the first major government roles held by an AI bot in history. Last May, Ukraine unveiled "Victoria Shi," an AI-generated spokesperson providing updates on matters of foreign affairs. Albania appears to have embraced AI more than crypto in recent years. While establishing a crypto regulatory framework in May 2020 -- one of the most comprehensive pieces of crypto legislation in Europe at the time -- the Bank of Albania has continued to issue warnings regarding the risks associated with trading crypto, slowing adoption. While Albania remains a peaceful country, it has long been a hot spot for organized crime, with some officials having been accused of benefiting from contracts. Earlier this year, Erion Veliaj, the mayor of Tirana, and Illir Meta, Albania's former president and leader of the opposition Freedom Party, were charged with corruption. In 2023, Lefter Koka, the country's former environmental minister, was sentenced to over six years in prison for accepting a 3.7 million euro ($4.34 million) bribe linked to a construction project. Related: Agentic AI project Eliza Labs sues Elon Musk's xAI Corruption has held Albania back from becoming a member of the European Union since it became a candidate country in 2014. Rama, however, is hopeful that his country will receive membership by 2030.

Albania's Government Debuts Its AI 'Minister' to Parliament

TIRANA, Albania (AP) -- An AI-generated government "minister" was debuted in the Albanian parliament on Thursday, with Prime Minister Edi Rama presenting the bot as a symbol of his government's push for transparency and innovation. "The Constitution speaks of institutions at the people's service. It doesn't speak of chromosomes, of flesh or blood," the avatar declared in a three-minute address delivered from two large screens. "It speaks of duties, accountability, transparency, non-discriminatory service." "I assure you that I embody such values as strictly as every human colleague, maybe even more," added the artificial persona. It has been named Diella, which means sun in Albanian, and is depicted as a woman in traditional Albanian dress. Rama argued that the AI-generated bot will help the government work faster and with full transparency. It is one element in a larger plan to highlight the Balkan nation's technological innovations as it works toward European Union membership. Albania hopes to join the 27-member bloc by 2030. Opposition lawmakers are highly critical of the AI bot, and believe Diella is actually a way for the government to hide graft. They banged their hands on their tables, pushing the speaker to cut short the debate on the government program. The session ended after 25 minutes. They also boycotted a vote on the Cabinet's program, but it passed anyway with 82 votes in favor in the 140-seat parliament. The opposition did not explain how it thinks the government would exploit Diella to hide corruption in public finances. Diella was created earlier this year in cooperation with Microsoft as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania public service platform. It has helped users navigate the site and get access to about 1 million digital inquiries and documents. "I am not here to replace people but to help them," the bot said in its address to parliament. "True I have no citizenship, but I have no personal ambition or interests either."

Albania's leader says his new Cabinet includes an AI 'minister' to fight corruption

TIRANA, Albania -- Albania's leader said Friday his new cabinet will include an artificial intelligence "minister" that will be in charge of running public funding projects and fighting corruption in public tenders. Prime Minister Edi Rama said Diella, whose name means "Sun" in Albanian, is a "member of the Cabinet who is not present physically but has been created virtually from artificial intelligence." Rama said Diella would help ensure that "public tenders will be 100% free of corruption." Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania public service platform, where she helps users navigate the site while wearing traditional Albanian folk costume. Rama's Socialist Party secured a fourth consecutive term after winning 83 of the 140 Assembly seats in the May 11 parliamentary elections. The party can govern alone and pass most legislation, but it needs a two-thirds majority, or 93 seats, to change the Constitution. The Socialists have said it can deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, with negotiations concluding by 2027. The pledge has been met with skepticism by the Democrats, who contend Albania is far from prepared. The conservative Democratic Party-led coalition, headed by former prime minister and President Sali Berisha, won 50 seats. The party has not accepted the official election results, claiming irregularities, but its members participated in the new parliament's inaugural session. The remaining seats went to four smaller parties. Legal experts say more work may be needed to establish Diella's official status. Corruption has remained a top issue in the Western Balkan country since the fall of the communist regime in 1990. Parliament began the process to swear in new lawmakers Friday. Later in the day, lawmakers are expected to elect a new speaker and deputies and formally present Rama's new cabinet.

Albania's leader appoints AI-generated 'minister' to tackle corruption

TIRANA, Albania (AP) -- Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama on Friday tapped an Artificial Intelligence-generated 'minister' for his cabinet to take on corruption. The new State Minister for Artificial Intelligence is called Diella, whose name means a female "Sun" in Albanian, and will be a "member of the Cabinet who is not present physically but has been created virtually from artificial intelligence," Rama said in a post on Facebook. Rama said the AI-generated bot would help ensure that "public tenders will be 100% free of corruption" and will help the government work faster and with full transparency. Diella, wearing traditional Albanian folk costume, was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania public service platform, where she has helped users navigate the site and receive about one million of digital documents. Rama's Socialist Party secured a fourth consecutive term after winning 83 of the 140 Assembly seats in the May 11 parliamentary elections. The party can govern alone and pass most legislation, but it needs a two-thirds majority, or 93 seats, to change the Constitution. The Socialists have said it can deliver European Union membership for Albania in five years, with negotiations concluding by 2027. The pledge has been met with skepticism by the Democrats, who contend Albania is far from prepared. The Western Balkan country opened full negotiations to join the EU a year ago. The new government also faces the challenges of fighting organized crime and corruption, which has remained a top issue in Albania since the fall of the communist regime in 1990. Diella also will help local authorities to speed up and adapt to the bloc's working trend. The presidential decree mandating Rama in the prime minister's post also entitled him "with the responsibility for the creation and functioning of the Virtual Minister of Artificial Intelligence 'Diella.'" The conservative opposition Democratic Party-led coalition, headed by former prime minister and president Sali Berisha, won 50 seats. The party has not accepted the official election results, claiming irregularities, but its members participated in the new parliament's inaugural session. The remaining seats went to four smaller parties. The new Cabinet will be voted in Parliament. It is not clear whether Rama will ask for a vote on Diella's virtual post. Legal experts say more work may be needed to establish Diella's official status. The Democrats' parliamentary group leader Gazmend Bardhi considered it unconstitutional. "Prime minister's buffoonery cannot be turned into legal acts of the Albanian state," Bardhi posted on Facebook. Parliament began the process on Friday to swear in new lawmakers, who will later elect a new speaker and deputies and formally present Rama's new cabinet.

'I'm not here to replace people': Albania's AI minister speaks to parliament - The Economic Times

Albania's new AI-generated minister addressed parliament for the first time on Thursday, defending its role as "not here to replace people, but to help them". The world's first AI government minister was appointed last week by Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama. "Some have called me 'unconstitutional' because I am not a human being," the AI -- dubbed Diella, or "sun" in Albanian -- told parliament in a video, appearing as a woman dressed in a traditional Albanian costume. It was unclear how the video was generated or the origin of the speech. "Let me remind you, the real danger to constitutions has never been the machines but the inhumane decisions of those in power," the bot said. Last week Rama said the AI would be entrusted with all decisions on public tenders, making them "100 per cent corruption-free and every public fund submitted to the tender procedure will be perfectly transparent". Diella was launched in January as an AI-powered virtual assistant to help people use the official e-Albania platform, which provides documents and services. Albania ranks 80th out of 180 countries in Transparency International's corruption index. The mayor of the capital Tirana, a former close associate of Rama, has been in pretrial detention for months on suspicion of corruption in the awarding of public contracts and money laundering. But the AI minister has angered the opposition. "The goal is nothing more than to attract attention," former prime minister and opposition leader Sali Berisha said, who has himself been accused of graft. "It is impossible to curb corruption with Diella," he added. "Who will control Diella? Diella is unconstitutional, and the Democratic Party will take the matter to the Constitutional Court," he said. The government's plans were adopted after a rowdy debate in which the opposition boycotted the vote. The AI also responded to constitutional concerns, noting that the law "speaks of duties, responsibilities, transparency, without discrimination." "I assure you, I embody these values as rigorously as any human colleague. Perhaps even more so." The fight against corruption is key to Albania's bid to join the European Union. Rama aspires to lead the Balkan nation of 2.8 million people into the bloc by 2030.

Albania Appoints AI Bot as Minister to Tackle Corruption

PRISTINA (Reuters) -A new minister in Albania charged to handle public procurement will be impervious to bribes, threats, or attempts to curry favour. That is because Diella, as she is called, is an AI-generated bot. Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is about to begin his fourth term, said on Thursday that Diella, which means "sun" in Albanian, will manage and award all public tenders in which the government contracts private companies for various projects. "Diella is the first cabinet member who isn't physically present, but is virtually created by AI," Rama said during a speech unveiling his new cabinet. She will help make Albania "a country where public tenders are 100% free of corruption." The awarding of such contracts has long been a source of corruption scandals in Albania, a Balkan country that experts say is a hub for gangs seeking to launder their money from trafficking drugs and weapons across the world, and where graft has reached the corridors of power. That image has complicated Albania's accession to the European Union, which Rama wants to achieve by 2030 but which political analysts say is ambitious. The government did not provide details of what human oversight there might be for Diella, or address risks that someone could manipulate the artificial intelligence bot. Diella originally launched early this year as an AI-powered virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform, helping citizens and businesses obtain state documents. Dressed in traditional Albanian attire, she provides assistance through voice commands and issues documents with electronic stamps, reducing bureaucratic delays. Not everyone is convinced. One Facebook user said: "Even Diella will be corrupted in Albania." Another said: "Stealing will continue and Diella will be blamed." The new parliament, elected in May, is scheduled to convene on Friday, though it remains unclear if the government will be voted on the same day. (Reporting by Florion Goga, writing by Fatos BytyciEditing by Rod Nickel)

Albania appoints AI bot as minister to tackle corruption - The Economic Times

Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is about to begin his fourth term, said on Thursday that Diella, which means "sun" in Albanian, will manage and award all public tenders in which the government contracts private companies for various projects.A new minister in Albania charged to handle public procurement will be impervious to bribes, threats, or attempts to curry favour. That is because Diella, as she is called, is an AI-generated bot. Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is about to begin his fourth term, said on Thursday that Diella, which means "sun" in Albanian, will manage and award all public tenders in which the government contracts private companies for various projects. "Diella is the first cabinet member who isn't physically present, but is virtually created by AI," Rama said during a speech unveiling his new cabinet. She will help make Albania "a country where public tenders are 100% free of corruption." The awarding of such contracts has long been a source of corruption scandals in Albania, a Balkan country that experts say is a hub for gangs seeking to launder their money from trafficking drugs and weapons across the world, and where graft has reached the corridors of power. That image has complicated Albania's accession to the European Union, which Rama wants to achieve by 2030 but which political analysts say is ambitious. The government did not provide details of what human oversight there might be for Diella, or address risks that someone could manipulate the artificial intelligence bot. Diella originally launched early this year as an AI-powered virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform, helping citizens and businesses obtain state documents. Dressed in traditional Albanian attire, she provides assistance through voice commands and issues documents with electronic stamps, reducing bureaucratic delays. Not everyone is convinced. One Facebook user said: "Even Diella will be corrupted in Albania." Another said: "Stealing will continue and Diella will be blamed." The new parliament, elected in May, is scheduled to convene on Friday, though it remains unclear if the government will be voted on the same day.

Albania's leader appoints AI-generated 'minister' to tackle corruption

TIRANA, Albania -- Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama on Friday tapped an Artificial Intelligence-generated 'minister' for his cabinet to take on corruption. The new State Minister for Artificial Intelligence is called Diella, whose name means a female "Sun" in Albanian, and will be a "member of the Cabinet who is not present physically but has been created virtually from artificial intelligence," Rama said in a post on Facebook. Rama said the AI-generated bot would help ensure that "public tenders will be 100 per cent free of corruption" and will help the government work faster and with full transparency. Diella, wearing traditional Albanian folk costume, was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania public service platform, where she has helped users navigate the site and receive about one million of digital documents. Rama's Socialist Party secured a fourth consecutive term after winning 83 of the 140 Assembly seats in the May 11 parliamentary elections. The party can govern alone and pass most legislation, but it needs a two-thirds majority, or 93 seats, to change the Constitution. The Socialists have said it can deliver European Union membership for Albania in five years, with negotiations concluding by 2027. The pledge has been met with skepticism by the Democrats, who contend Albania is far from prepared. The Western Balkan country opened full negotiations to join the EU a year ago. The new government also faces the challenges of fighting organized crime and corruption, which has remained a top issue in Albania since the fall of the communist regime in 1990. Diella also will help local authorities to speed up and adapt to the bloc's working trend. The presidential decree mandating Rama in the prime minister's post also entitled him "with the responsibility for the creation and functioning of the Virtual Minister of Artificial Intelligence 'Diella.'" The conservative opposition Democratic Party-led coalition, headed by former prime minister and president Sali Berisha, won 50 seats. The party has not accepted the official election results, claiming irregularities, but its members participated in the new parliament's inaugural session. The remaining seats went to four smaller parties. The new Cabinet will be voted in Parliament. It is not clear whether Rama will ask for a vote on Diella's virtual post. Legal experts say more work may be needed to establish Diella's official status. The Democrats' parliamentary group leader Gazmend Bardhi considered it unconstitutional. "Prime minister's buffoonery cannot be turned into legal acts of the Albanian state," Bardhi posted on Facebook. Parliament began the process on Friday to swear in new lawmakers, who will later elect a new speaker and deputies and formally present Rama's new cabinet.

Albania's government debuts its AI 'minister' to parliament | BreakingNews

An AI-generated government "minister" was debuted in the Albanian parliament on Thursday, with Prime Minister Edi Rama presenting the bot as a symbol of his government's push for transparency and innovation. "The constitution speaks of institutions at the people's service. It doesn't speak of chromosomes, of flesh or blood," the avatar declared in a three-minute address delivered from two large screens. "It speaks of duties, accountability, transparency, non-discriminatory service." I am not here to replace people but to help them... True I have no citizenship, but I have no personal ambition or interests either "I assure you that I embody such values as strictly as every human colleague, maybe even more," added the artificial persona. It has been named Diella, which means sun in Albanian, and is depicted as a woman in traditional Albanian dress. Mr Rama argued that the AI-generated bot will help the government work faster and with full transparency. It is one element in a larger plan to highlight the Balkan nation's technological innovations as it works toward European Union membership. Albania hopes to join the 27-member bloc by 2030. Opposition legislators are highly critical of the AI bot, and believe Diella is actually a way for the government to hide graft. They banged their hands on their tables, pushing the speaker to cut short the debate on the government programme. The session ended after 25 minutes. They also boycotted a vote on the cabinet's programme, but it passed anyway with 82 votes in favour in the 140-seat parliament. The opposition did not explain how it thinks the government would exploit Diella to hide corruption in public finances. Diella was created earlier this year in cooperation with Microsoft as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania public service platform. It has helped users navigate the site and get access to about one million digital inquiries and documents. "I am not here to replace people but to help them," the bot said in its address to parliament. "True I have no citizenship, but I have no personal ambition or interests either."

Superfluous Appointments: Albania's Sunny AI Minister

When countries have suffered the odd mishap regarding government paralysis or convulsive change, the frequent quip would often be: "Who noticed?" Much like university vice-chancellors or the parasitic management structures of most organisations, their forced absence merely induces a range of feelings from relief to indifference. They are all superfluous and know it. Reasons to justify their existence must therefore be invented. With the introduction of artificial intelligence into various spheres of society, an assured sense of superfluousness is bound to get even more profound. Little wonder that AI technology is very modish in government circles, encouraging the Australian government, for example, to praise its "immense potential to improve social and economic wellbeing." And seeing as government is very often a multiplication of the irrelevant, the hopeless and the spurious, it only follows that AI would be praised for improving it. "For government," the Australian AI policy goes on to explain, "the benefits of adopting AI include more efficient and accurate agency operations, better data analysis and evidence-based decisions, and improved service delivery for people and business." Little in the way of justice, human rights, or equity is mentioned in this glowing praise, which is often the problem with the next fad that captures those supposedly running a country. Efficiency chatter rarely features the welfare of the human. This has not deterred the introduction of machine learning to forecast inflation in the eurozone, or the US Federal Reserve from pursuing research using generative models to digest the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee. The Reserve Bank of Australia has decided that policy briefings might well best be done by AI, though its governor Michele Bullock tried to reassure the public in a lecture delivered this month that "we are not using AI to formulate or set monetary policy or any other policy." Then again, in economics, who would know? One country with its abundant share of administrative problems and reputational issues is Albania, Europe's fifth poorest state. While its citizens are a resourceful bunch, its government has tended to wallow in the mire of corruption, a consistent handicap in its efforts to join the European Union. And as every problem these days calls out for the AI panacea, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has decided to join the club in dramatic fashion. Rather than focusing on solutions that would presumably draw on people, insight and experience, Rama thinks that appointing the world's first AI minister is the way to go. Less messy, less problematic. Fewer people to blame. The AI minister, named Diella ("sun" in Albanian), had already made an appearance as a virtual assistant to the e-Albania public service platform. From that debut, the bot was intended to assist users navigate the system to obtain official documents. Few thought that this was a prelude to careerism. Now, this same artificial creature has the status of a cabinet minister with various responsibilities. "Diella is the first cabinet minister who isn't physically present, but is virtually created by AI," says Rama. Leaving aside the issue of mental presence, Rama hopes that Diella will make his country one "where public tenders are 100 percent free of corruption" with the process being totally transparent. He is less than flattering about the ministries of government, long blighted by corruption. How clever, then, to leave it to Diella to be "the public servant of procurement". Importantly, she is bound to be safe, unlikely to vie for leadership of the country (at least for the moment), unlikely to leak to the press, and unlikely to cause those distracting scandals that terrify government ministers. As a BBC report caustically remarks, "She will only be power-hungry in the sense of the electricity she consumes. And a damaging expenses scandal would appear to be out of the question." Certain lawmakers are unimpressed. "[The] Prime Minister's buffoonery cannot be turned into legal acts of the Albanian state," huffed Gazmend Bardhi, parliamentary group leader of the Democrats. There certainly is that touchy problem of the Albanian constitution, which makes it clear that government ministers must be mentally competent citizens that have, at the very least, reached the age of 18. It is hard to avoid the accusation that Rama is merely peeing in the wind, splashing everybody with ample, sloshing nonsense. Impoverished states are often in the habit of seeking technological wonders to outdo their supposedly more advanced counterparts, leaving the structural rot unattended. The Albanian PM, in a similar vein, sees his country "leapfrogging" other states, trapped by "traditional ways of working." His seductive hook has certainly caught a few, including Aneida Bajraktari Bicja, founder of the financial services company Balkans Capital. Having an AI cabinet appointment "could be constructive if it develops into real systems that improve transparency and trust in public procurement". Rama is boisterously confident that he can deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, with negotiations concluding by 2027. By then, he may well be leaving the entire negotiation process to AI, relinquishing human agency in all its forms. That would say much about the level of talent of those involved in the process, including those tolerating it.

This country becomes the first to appoint AI bot as minister to handle corruption

Originally launched on the e-Albania platform, Diella now joins Prime Minister Rama's new cabinet. Albania has become the first country to appoint an AI-generated bot as a minister to oversee public procurement. The virtual official, called Diella, which means "sun" in Albanian, will manage all government tenders and contracts through which private companies carry out public projects. Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is beginning his fourth term, introduced Diella while announcing his new cabinet. "Diella is the first cabinet member who isn't physically present, but is virtually created by AI," Rama said. He added that her role is to ensure public tenders are "100% free of corruption." Public procurement has been one of Albania's most controversial issues for decades, with contracts often linked to corruption scandals. According to reports, criminal networks have used the Balkan nation as a hub for laundering money from drug and weapons trafficking. These problems have also slowed Albania's efforts to join the European Union, a goal Rama hopes to achieve by 2030. Diella, however, is not entirely new. She was first launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania digital platform, where she assists citizens and businesses in applying for documents online. Dressed in traditional Albanian attire, Diella responds to voice commands, processes requests, and issues electronically stamped documents. Also read: Flipkart Big Billion Days sale 2025: Pixel 9, iPhone 16 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL will be available with massive discounts Now, with an appointment as minister, she has become the first AI bot to join governance across the globe. Although the government has not explained how much human oversight will be in place, or how risks of AI manipulation will be handled. Notably, Rama won a fourth consecutive term in the May elections and is expected to present his new cabinet to the parliament soon.