• In a historic move, Albania has become the first country to appoint an AI-powered cabinet minister. Prime Minister Edi Rama introduced “Diella”, a virtual artificial intelligence avatar, during the Socialist Party assembly in Tirana.
• Diella will oversee public procurement, a sector widely seen as vulnerable to corruption and inefficiency.
• Integrated into Albania’s E-Albania digital governance portal, Diella is tasked with ensuring transparency, fairness, and efficiency in managing public tenders. The AI minister can process bureaucratic requests via voice commands and has already handled 36,600 digital documents and nearly 1,000 services.
• The name “Diella”, meaning “sun” in Albanian, symbolizes a new era of digital governance. Unlike symbolic AI figures, Diella is entrusted with real ministerial responsibilities, making it a fully functional part of Albania’s cabinet.
• Prime Minister Rama emphasized that Diella is “the first cabinet member not physically present but virtually created by artificial intelligence,” positioning Albania at the forefront of AI-driven governance.