Albania Appoints World's First AI Minister to Fight Corruption

Diella (AI avatar / virtual assistant)

In a global first, Albania has appointed an artificial intelligence system, Diella, as "Minister for Public Procurements." Presented as a groundbreaking measure to fight corruption, this initiative has drawn both praise for its innovation and criticism over its legality and accountability. The move underscores Albania’s determination to improve governance, but also raises questions about the limits of AI in politics.

Why Albania Is Interested in Fighting Corruption

Corruption has long been a serious challenge in Albania, undermining public trust and slowing down economic progress.

Albania is seeking accession to the European Union, which requires strong reforms in rule of law, transparency, and corruption control.

Surveys show corruption is among Albanians’ top concerns, weakening faith in government and institutions.

Corruption discourages investment, inflates costs, and wastes public funds. A transparent system is essential for attracting foreign investment and sustainable development.

New institutions like SPAK (Special Prosecution Against Corruption) have been created to investigate high-level wrongdoing. Diella is seen as another tool in this broader reform.

Bribery and favoritism hit the poor hardest, eroding equal access to healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

What We Know About Diella

Diella is a virtual AI assistant developed by Albania’s National Agency for Information Society. First launched in January 2025 on the e-Albania platform, it initially helped citizens with digital documents and public services. By September 2025, it had been elevated to the role of overseeing public procurement, a sector historically vulnerable to corruption.

The AI appears as a digital avatar dressed in traditional Albanian attire. The government claims Diella will ensure procurement processes are “100% transparent and corruption-free.” Before the appointment, Diella had already assisted with issuing tens of thousands of digital documents and processing over a million online inquiries.

Criticism

Despite the government’s optimism, Diella’s appointment has sparked backlash:

Opposition leaders argue that ministers must be human citizens under the Albanian Constitution, making the appointment illegal.

Critics ask who bears responsibility if Diella makes a mistake, issues a flawed tender, or is manipulated. Without human accountability, legal challenges are inevitable.

Skeptics question how algorithms behind procurement decisions are designed, who audits them, and whether they can be manipulated to hide corruption rather than eliminate it.

Some say the move is more about optics and signaling modernization than genuinely transferring decision-making power to AI.

This Is Not the First Time

Albania’s experiment is unprecedented in giving AI a formal ministerial role, but it is not the first AI-related political initiative

In Cheyenne, Wyoming (USA), Victor Miller ran for mayor in 2024, planning to delegate governance to his AI system “VIC.” Legal barriers prevented the AI from being on the ballot directly, and the campaign ultimately failed.

In the UAE, a Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence was appointed in 2017—but the position is held by a human, tasked with overseeing AI strategy, not by an AI itself.

In the UK, local councils are experimenting with AI tools like “Humphrey” to streamline administrative tasks, though these systems remain assistants, not decision-makers.

Albania’s appointment of Diella marks a bold step in merging AI with governance. While it reflects the country’s determination to root out corruption and modernize its institutions, the experiment raises deep legal, ethical, and political questions. Whether Diella becomes a milestone in digital governance or a cautionary tale will depend on how Albania balances innovation with accountability.