Albania has made global headlines after appointing “Diella,” an artificial intelligence system, as the country’s first-ever government minister. The AI software, introduced by Prime Minister Edi Rama, now officially serves as Minister for Public Procurements — a move that immediately sparked outrage and chaos in parliament.
Why It Matters: The appointment marks the world’s first case of an AI-powered government official holding ministerial authority, raising questions about governance, ethics, and accountability in public service.
Diella was originally built by Albania’s National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI) using a Microsoft language model. It started as a chatbot for the government’s e-Albania portal, helping citizens process digital paperwork and access online public services.
The system’s new role now gives it full oversight of Albania’s public procurement system — a domain long criticized for inefficiency and corruption.
Prime Minister Rama initially described the AI minister as a symbolic move to highlight his administration’s fight against corruption — one of Albania’s key hurdles in its bid to join the European Union. But his decision to grant Diella full ministerial powers surprised even his allies. Rama claimed that the appointment would make public procurement “100 per cent corruption-free” and ensure that “every public fund submitted to the tender procedure will be perfectly transparent.”
However, opposition figures have raised concerns over the decision. Former prime minister and Democratic Party official Sali Berisha questioned both the legality and logic of the appointment.
During its inaugural address, Diella directly addressed critics who called its appointment unconstitutional.
“Some have called me ‘unconstitutional’ because I am not a human being. Let me remind you, the real danger to constitutions has never been the machines, but the inhumane decisions of those in power,” Diella said.
According to Report TV via 9GAG, opposition lawmakers threw bottles and desk items at Rama and his cabinet after several attempts to block the session failed. The uproar brought the legislature’s opening session to an abrupt end.
“The goal is nothing more than to attract attention. It is impossible to fight corruption with Diella. Who will control Diella? Diella is unconstitutional, and the Democratic Party will take the matter to the Constitutional Court,” Berisha said.
As Albania enters this unprecedented experiment with artificial intelligence in governance, the world watches closely. Can an AI truly help curb corruption as we currently face a similar issue now, or will this move deepen the divide between technology and accountability?
