Albania’s new anti-corruption minister is an AI

Albania has appointed an AI chatbot to its government cabinet with the express mission of eliminating corruption from public procurement. Prime Minister Edi Rama announced on September 11 that the AI, named Diella, will be responsible for managing and awarding all government contracts with private companies, a process long plagued by graft that has hindered the nation’s efforts to join the European Union.

From virtual assistant to cabinet minister

Diella, which means “sun” in Albanian, is being billed as a cabinet member impervious to bribes or political pressure. “Diella is the first Cabinet member who isn’t physically present, but is virtually created by AI,” Rama said during a speech unveiling his new cabinet, adding that the goal is to make Albania “a country where public tenders are 100 per cent free of corruption.” The move represents a significant structural shift, with government ministries set to gradually hand over their authority on tender decisions to the AI.

This isn’t Diella’s first government job. The AI was first integrated into the e-Albania public service portal in January, where it has been acting as a virtual assistant, helping citizens navigate bureaucratic processes through voice commands. In that role, it already facilitates access to roughly 95 percent of citizen services online. Now, it’s been promoted to oversee a system experts say has been a hub for laundering money from criminal enterprises.

A high-tech bid for a spot in the EU

Albania’s radical tech-forward approach is a clear attempt to address one of its biggest obstacles to joining the European Union, a goal Rama hopes to achieve by 2030. The nation’s struggle with corruption has been a major sticking point in accession talks. This initiative seems designed to show prospective EU partners that Albania is serious about reform, using the very technology the bloc itself is championing.

A recent EU strategic report called for a proactive approach to ensure the “EU thrives in turbulent times” by harnessing AI in a way that aligns with “European values” and builds strategic autonomy. Albania’s move appears to be a direct response to this sentiment, echoing calls from other European leaders, like Greece’s agriculture minister, for using technology and innovation to slash bureaucracy.

Governments are already learning AI is no silver bullet

While the plan is ambitious, the Albanian government has provided no details on what human oversight will exist for Diella or what safeguards will prevent the AI from being manipulated. This lack of transparency has fueled public skepticism, with some citizens on social media predicting, “Even Diella will be corrupted in Albania.”

These concerns reflect the complex reality governments are facing as they rush to adopt AI. In California, a state program using an AI assistant to help with tax collection has already run into friction with labor unions. SEIU Local 1000, which represents state workers, has voiced concerns that employees have not been sufficiently engaged in how these tools are developed and deployed.

This highlights the challenges that lie ahead for Albania. Beyond the technical hurdles of building an un-corruptible AI, the government will have to navigate public trust, potential labor disputes, and growing regulatory scrutiny. In the US, for example, the FTC has already launched an inquiry into major AI developers like Google and OpenAI over the safety of their technologies, signaling that the era of hands-off AI development is coming to an end.