Albania Appoints Diella as AI Minister

Albania has appointed an artificial intelligence-powered digital assistant named Diella as its virtual minister, making it the world's first AI system to serve in a government cabinet. Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that Diella will oversee public procurement to eliminate corruption, aiming for 100% corruption-free public tenders. Diella, which means 'sun' in Albanian, will manage government contract decisions, a role previously handled by human officials, in a step-by-step transition. This initiative is a key part of Albania's strategy to combat systemic graft, which has complicated its goal of joining the European Union by 2030. Diella initially launched in January as a virtual assistant on Albania's e-Albania platform, processing digital documents and providing services. While the government has not detailed human oversight mechanisms or safeguards against AI manipulation, the move represents a significant shift in governance, though public reaction remains mixed with some skepticism about its success.