Albania unveils Diella, the world’s first AI minister, to oversee public procurement and fight corruption amid EU membership ambitions.
When Albania’s national Assembly convened last month to hold the first session of its 11th Legislature, lawmakers were greeted by a woman in white traditional dress projected onto two large screens. “I am not here to replace people but to help them,” she said. “True, I have no citizenship, but I have no personal ambition or interests either.”
Her name is Diella, the Albanian word for sunshine, and she has been billed as the world’s first artificial intelligence minister, tasked with overseeing public procurement.
The promise of an incorruptible, nonpartisan watchdog might appeal in a Balkan nation where graft has repeatedly stalled its efforts to join the EU. Brussels has urged Tirana to address rule-of-law deficiencies, particularly in public administration, before membership talks can advance. Prime Minister Edi Rama, fresh from securing a fourth term, argued that Diella will expedite procurement decisions and demonstrate Albania’s commitment to tackling corruption.
Critics dismiss the project as political theater, and opposition lawmakers warn that the government could manipulate the digital persona and use it as a distraction.
Developed earlier this year in conjunction with Microsoft, Diella debuted as a chatbot on the e-Albania platform, enabling citizens to obtain documents and navigate digital services. Turning the service into a political figure, however, is something that no one foresaw.
Its unveiling poses more questions than it answers, says Klodiana Beshku, associate professor and lecturer on Geopolitics and European Integration at the University of Tirana. “Diella mostly represents the desire to appear in line with new technological innovations while simultaneously pursuing EU membership,” she says. “It is supposed to deal with public contracts in a neutral way, but the real question is why finding an honest minister to deal with public procurement is such a mission impossible in Albania.”
There are also issues of accountability and whether it can be recognized as a legal entity. “Let’s say that Diella makes a mistake, who is going to be accountable?” Beshku asks. “How is the rule of law going to function in such a case?”
