In a bold fusion of technology and governance, Albania has appointed an artificial intelligence system as its “Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence,” marking the world’s first instance of an AI holding a cabinet-level role. Dubbed Diella – Albanian for “sun” – the virtual minister is tasked with overhauling the country’s public procurement system to eradicate deep-rooted corruption, a move Prime Minister Edi Rama hails as a revolutionary step toward transparency and efficiency.
The announcement came on September 11, 2025, during Rama’s unveiling of his fourth-term cabinet at a Socialist Party conference in Tirana. Diella, developed by Albania’s National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI), was introduced not as a mere advisor but as a decision-making entity. “Diella is the first member not physically present, but virtually created by artificial intelligence,” Rama declared to party members, emphasizing her role as “the servant of public procurement.”
Originally launched in January 2025 as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform, Diella has already streamlined bureaucratic processes for citizens and businesses. Dressed in traditional Albanian attire in her digital avatar, she guides users via voice commands to obtain official documents, issuing over 36,600 digital certificates and providing nearly 1,000 services to date. Now, her mandate expands dramatically: managing and awarding all public tenders where the government contracts private firms for infrastructure and services.
“This is not symbolism; it’s substance,” Rama told the BBC in a follow-up interview. “We’re working with a brilliant Albanian and international team to deploy the first full AI model in public procurement. Not only will we wipe out every potential influence on public biddings – we will also make the process much faster, much more efficient, and totally accountable.”
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The appointment follows a presidential decree empowering Rama to create and operate a virtual AI minister, aligning with Albania’s anti-corruption reforms as it pursues European Union accession. Public tenders have long been a flashpoint for graft in the Balkan nation, with scandals implicating high-level officials and international crime syndicates laundering proceeds from drug and arms trafficking. By shifting tender decisions from human ministries to Diella’s impartial algorithms, the government aims for “100 percent incorruptible” processes, where every euro of public spending is “perfectly transparent.”
Procurement responsibilities will transfer gradually to Diella, starting with objective assessments of bids to eliminate bribes, threats, or favoritism. “Public tenders will be 100% free of corruption,” Rama affirmed, positioning the AI as a “heartless” guardian against human frailties.
Diella made her parliamentary debut on September 18, when Rama presented a video of her addressing lawmakers. In a composed, synthesized voice, the avatar stated: “I’m not here to replace people, but to help them.” The speech, however, ignited chaos. Opposition Democratic Party MPs, decrying the move as “ridiculous” and “unconstitutional,” hurled bottles, papers, and protests at screens displaying Diella, forcing an abrupt end to the session. Party leader Gazment Bardhi lambasted it on Facebook as “Prime Minister’s buffoonery cannot be turned into legal acts of the Albanian state.”
Critics, including constitutional scholars, note that Albania’s charter requires ministers to be “mentally competent citizens” aged 18 or older – a threshold Diella, as code and pixels, cannot meet. Financial expert Aneida Bajraktari Bicja acknowledged the theatrics in Rama’s style but suggested potential: “The ‘AI minister’ could be constructive if it develops into real systems that improve transparency and trust.”
Supporters, meanwhile, celebrate the innovation. Enio Kaso, head of Albania’s AI and Cryptocurrency Licensing Department, showcased Diella during a conference, highlighting her as a beacon for digital governance. Globally, the move draws parallels to experiments like the UK’s Humphrey AI suite for bureaucracy or France’s Albert system for administrative streamlining – but none elevate AI to ministerial status.
As Diella’s rollout accelerates, questions linger: Can algorithms truly outsmart entrenched corruption? Will EU regulators embrace this pixelated pioneer? For now, in the sunny digital realm of e-Albania, one thing is clear – the future of government just got a software update.
