Albania Introduces AI Hologram Minister Diella to Combat Corruption

Albania has made history by appointing Diella, the world's first AI government minister, tasked with overseeing public procurement to combat corruption and align with EU accession goals. Presented as a hologram dressed in traditional Albanian attire, Diella aims to ensure transparency and corruption-free public tenders, supporting Prime Minister Edi Rama's promise of EU membership by 2030. While the government praises Diella as a corruption-free, transparent innovation to aid governance, opposition parties have criticized the appointment as unconstitutional and a political stunt designed to distract from ongoing government malpractice. The AI minister's role highlights Albania's struggle with corruption, underscored by recent scandals and its middling position on Transparency International's corruption index. This unprecedented move has sparked debate over the efficacy and legality of AI in governance, reflecting broader tensions between technological innovation and political accountability. Despite controversy, the government maintains that Diella embodies a commitment to reform and modernization in Albania's path toward EU integration.