Tirana, September 2025 — In a landmark move, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has appointed an artificial intelligence bot named Diella to oversee government tenders, positioning the country as a global test case for the use of AI in governance.
Unveiled during the announcement of Rama’s new cabinet in mid-September, Diella — whose name means “Sun” in Albanian — was introduced as a “member of the cabinet who is not present physically.” Rama claimed the system would make procurement “100 percent free of corruption,” a problem that has long plagued Albania and remains a major obstacle to its European Union accession ambitions.
Launched in January 2025 as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania public service platform, Diella has already handled 36,600 digital documents and provided nearly 1,000 online services, according to official figures. Now, she has been elevated to a symbolic ministerial role tasked with monitoring and awarding public tenders.
The announcement has triggered both excitement and skepticism. Supporters see it as a bold step toward transparency and modernization of public administration, aligning with the government’s pledge to secure EU membership by 2027.
However, opposition lawmakers and legal experts have questioned the constitutionality of the move. Albania’s constitution requires ministers to be mentally competent citizens over 18, a definition that clearly excludes AI systems. Gazmend Bardhi, parliamentary leader of the Democratic Party, condemned the move as “buffoonery” and warned that it cannot form a legal act of the Albanian state.
President Bajram Begaj has yet to clarify whether Diella’s post will be recognized under law, while Rama has not detailed the level of human oversight or safeguards that will govern her decisions.
Public reaction has also been divided. Some citizens welcomed the innovation, while others expressed doubts. One social media user remarked, “Even Diella will be corrupted in Albania.” Another wrote, “Stealing will continue and Diella will be blamed.”
As Albania pushes forward with EU accession talks, Diella’s appointment stands as both a symbolic and controversial experiment. Whether the AI system can effectively tackle entrenched corruption — or simply serve as a political gesture — remains to be seen.
Source: AlJazeera
