Albania Appoints AI Minister Diella to Combat Nationwide Corruption

Albania has appointed Diella, an AI-generated virtual assistant, as the country's first digital minister to oversee public procurement and combat corruption, a move announced by Prime Minister Edi Rama. Diella, whose name means "sun" in Albanian, was initially launched as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform and has now been elevated to a cabinet position with the authority to evaluate government contract proposals and ensure transparency in public tenders. Rama emphasized that Diella's role is to make public tenders 100% free of corruption and fully transparent, a critical step toward Albania's goal of joining the European Union by 2030, given that corruption has been a significant barrier. Although the government has not detailed the extent of human oversight or safeguards against AI manipulation, Diella represents a pioneering effort to integrate AI into governance, potentially setting a global precedent. The AI minister is also empowered to hire talents worldwide and aims to modernize government operations, build public trust, and accelerate digital services. While the initiative has been met with some skepticism regarding Albania's preparedness for EU membership, the government is committed to using AI to address long-standing corruption and inefficiency in public procurement.