Minister Diella addresses Albanian parliament.
Credit: Credit: Kuvendi parliament of Albania
In a jaw-dropping debut, Albania’s hi-tech, AI-powered government minister, Diella, addressed parliament on September 18, igniting uproar over innovation and constitutionality.
Prime Minister Edi Rama introduced the world’s first artificially intelligent minister to oversee public tenders, promising “100 per cent corruption-free” decisions. Named Diella, meaning “sun” in Albanian, the AI appeared as a woman in traditional attire, declaring, “I am not here to replace people, but to help them.”
The appointment, announced last week, is a stab at improving transparency in Albania after a plethora of accusations thrown at the government, which ranks 80th out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s corruption index. Diella, initially launched in January as a virtual assistant for the e-Albania platform, now handles public tender decisions to eliminate private bribery deals. However, the move provoked outrage from opposition lawmakers, who banged tables and boycotted a vote on the government’s programme, dubbing the AI’s role as “unconstitutional”.
New tech AI minister in Albania scoffed at by opposition
Former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, himself accused of corruption, dismissed Diella as a publicity stunt and vowed to challenge its appointment in the Constitutional Court. The government’s plans were eventually adopted despite the opposition’s walkout.
Globally, AI in government decision-making is beginning to creep in. Singapore uses AI to optimise urban planning and resource allocation, while Estonia uses AI-driven systems for public service delivery, including tax processing. In the UAE, AI assists in policy analysis in order to improve government efficiency, all examples which highlight AI’s growing role in reducing human bias and improving transparency. Although, Albania’s step into appointing a virtual robot as a minister is still without precedent anywhere.
Next, the Constitutional Court will review the opposition’s challenge to Diella’s legality, a decision that could be a world-first for AI in government. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rama’s administration will push forward with Diella’s implementation, as they hope to strengthen Albania’s EU membership bid by 2030 through anti-corruption reforms. The controversy is yet another case of the tension between technological innovation and traditional governance as Albania attempts to head towards modernisation.
