A new minister in Albania, responsible for public procurement, will be entirely protected from attempts at bribery, threats, or other forms of corruption. This is because the new minister, named Diella, is an artificial intelligence–generated entity.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, on the verge of starting his fourth term, announced on September 11 that Diella will manage and approve all public tenders in which the government contracts private companies for various projects.
“Diella is the first member of the cabinet who is not physically present, but is virtually created by artificial intelligence,” Rama said during the presentation of the new cabinet.
She will help Albania become “a country where public tenders are 100% free from corruption.”
Awarding such contracts has long been a source of corruption scandals in Albania, a country aspiring to join the European Union. Rama aims for Albania to become part of the EU by 2030.
Rama did not provide details regarding human oversight of Diella, or whether measures have been taken to prevent potential manipulation of the AI entity.
Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual AI assistant on the e-Albania platform, helping citizens and businesses access government documents. Dressed in traditional Albanian attire, she provides assistance through voice commands and issues documents with electronic seals, reducing bureaucratic delays.
However, not everyone is convinced that Diella will remain incorruptible. One Facebook user commented: “Even Diella will become corrupt in Albania.” Another said: “The thefts will continue, and Diella will be blamed.”
The new parliament, elected in May, is scheduled to convene on Friday, though it remains unclear whether the new Albanian government will be confirmed on the same day.
