Albania Names AI Bot as New Minister to Fight Corruption

Albania has appointed an artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant to oversee public procurement, aiming to eliminate corruption in the awarding of government contracts. The digital minister, named Diella—which translates to “sun” in Albanian—is designed to be immune to bribery, coercion, or political influence.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, preparing to begin his fourth term in office, announced the move during a recent cabinet presentation. Diella will be responsible for managing all public tenders involving private companies, a sector historically plagued by corruption.
“This is the first time a cabinet member is not a human being but a digitally-created AI,” Rama said. He emphasised that the bot will play a key role in ensuring that state contracts are allocated without any corrupt practices.
Corruption tied to public procurement has been a persistent problem in the country. Albania, a Balkan nation with a reputation for being a hotspot for international criminal networks, has struggled with organised crime and systemic graft. These issues have also slowed its progress toward joining the European Union—a goal the government hopes to reach by 2030, though many observers see that timeline as overly optimistic.
No specifics have been released regarding how the AI will be monitored or safeguarded against potential manipulation. Critics are already voicing doubts online, with some suggesting that even an AI can be compromised in Albania’s political environment.
Diella was first introduced earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the country’s digital services platform. Clad in traditional Albanian dress, she guides users through bureaucratic processes, responds to voice commands, and issues digitally signed documents—speeding up access to public services.
Despite these efforts, skepticism remains. Some citizens have expressed doubts about the initiative on social media, suggesting that corruption will persist regardless of whether a human or an AI is in charge.
The newly elected parliament is set to meet on Friday, though it is still uncertain whether a vote on the new government will take place immediately.