Albania has appointed Diella, an AI-generated virtual assistant, as its new Minister for Public Procurement. This move, a global first, aims to combat corruption and increase transparency in government tenders.
According to Prime Minister Edi Rama, this is a key step in his administration’s efforts to align with European Union standards and ensure public tenders are "100% free of corruption."
Diella, which means "sun," was developed by Albania’s National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI) in partnership with Microsoft.
She was initially created to help citizens navigate government services on the e-Albania platform. As minister, her primary role is to manage and award public contracts based on merit, eliminating human bias, political interference, and corrupt practices.
The appointment has sparked significant debate. Critics raise concerns about the constitutionality of an AI serving as a minister, arguing that human accountability and legal oversight are crucial and have not been clearly defined.
The success of this experiment will determine if AI can move beyond assistant roles and into substantive government functions, setting a precedent for its use in public service.
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