Albania has introduced its first artificial intelligence cabinet member, an AI bot named Diella, to manage public procurement and award government tenders.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, set to begin his fourth term, said Thursday the move aims to eliminate corruption from contract awards, long a source of scandals in the Balkan nation. “Diella is the first cabinet member who isn’t physically present, but is virtually created by AI,” Rama said, promising tenders will be “100% free of corruption.”
Diella, meaning “sun” in Albanian, was first launched this year as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform, helping citizens access documents and reduce bureaucratic delays.
Skeptics, however, doubt AI can root out entrenched graft. One social media user wrote, “Even Diella will be corrupted in Albania.” The government has not clarified what human oversight will exist.
Albania hopes to join the European Union by 2030, though analysts say the timeline is ambitious given persistent corruption.
