Albania has appointed an artificial intelligence bot as a new minister to oversee public procurement, in a move Prime Minister Edi Rama says will help eliminate corruption.
The bot, named Diella – meaning “sun” in Albanian – will manage and award all public tenders in which the government contracts private companies.
“Diella is the first cabinet member who isn’t physically present, but is virtually created by AI,” Rama said while unveiling his new cabinet. He added that Diella would help make Albania “a country where public tenders are 100% free of corruption.”
Read More: AI think, therefore I A.M.
Public tenders have long been a source of scandals in Albania, a Balkan state often described by experts as a hub for gangs laundering profits from drug and weapons trafficking. Corruption at high levels has complicated Albania’s bid to join the European Union, which Rama hopes to achieve by 2030 — though analysts say that goal is ambitious.
The government gave no details about human oversight of Diella or safeguards against possible manipulation.
Also Read: AI-guided cameras make solo surgery possible in Santiago
Diella was first launched earlier this year as an AI-powered virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform, where she helps citizens and businesses obtain state documents. Dressed in traditional Albanian attire, the bot interacts via voice commands and issues documents with electronic stamps, aiming to reduce bureaucratic delays.
Not all Albanians are convinced. “Even Diella will be corrupted in Albania,” one Facebook user wrote. Another said: “Stealing will continue and Diella will be blamed.”
The new parliament, elected in May, is set to convene on Friday, though it remains unclear if the government will be voted in on the same day.
