Albania introduces ‘AI Minister’ to end corruption, monitor government contracts

In a groundbreaking step toward digital governance, Albania has introduced an AI-powered ‘minister’ named Diella in its national parliament. Prime Minister Edi Rama presented the AI persona as a symbol of the country’s efforts to modernize governance, strengthen transparency, and tackle corruption.

Diella’s primary role will be monitoring all public tenders, with the government promoting it as a safeguard to ensure contracts remain completely corruption-free. During a three-minute virtual speech delivered through large screens, the AI minister declared: “The Constitution speaks of institutions at the service of the people. It does not speak of chromosomes, flesh, or blood — it speaks of duty, accountability, and transparency.”

The AI system, whose name means ‘sun’ in Albanian, first appeared in January as a digital assistant to guide citizens through government services. Developed in collaboration with Microsoft, Diella is visualized as a woman dressed in traditional Albanian attire. The prime minister emphasized that this technology would make governance faster, fairer, and more efficient, framing it as part of Albania’s broader push for European Union membership by 2030.

Despite the government’s optimism, opposition parties strongly criticized the initiative, describing the AI rollout as a political smokescreen to mask corruption.

Addressing lawmakers, Diella stated: “I am not here to replace people, but to assist them. I have no citizenship, no personal ambitions, and no vested interests.”

The AI ‘minister’ has already processed around one million online service requests via the government’s e-Albania platform. Authorities claim this is only the beginning of a larger plan to showcase Albania’s tech-driven reforms on the path to EU integration.