Recently, Albania announced the appointment of the world's first government minister generated by artificial intelligence, becoming a pioneer in this field. Although other countries have established ministerial positions responsible for artificial intelligence, this Balkan country, with a population of about 2.7 million, has taken the lead in elevating AI technology to the level of government power. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the news on Facebook and introduced the new minister Diella. The name comes from the feminine form of "sun" in Albanian, and Diella appears as a young woman wearing traditional attire.
Image source note: The image is AI-generated, and the image licensing service provider is Midjourney
As the new minister, Diella is not a stranger. Since the beginning of this year, she has been serving as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform, helping citizens understand public service information. While some see the appointment of an AI minister as a gimmick, Diella will play an important role in improving public procurement processes. Rama mentioned in his Facebook post that Diella was trained based on the latest AI models, aiming to ensure "public tenders are completely free of corruption." He believes that through online submission of tenders, AI can fairly and transparently evaluate all relevant criteria and conditions.
In an interview with The Politician, Rama said that the idea of an AI minister means "no nepotism or conflicts of interest." This is particularly important for Albania, which has a poor record of corruption among high-ranking officials. Albania hopes to join the EU, and since gaining candidate status in 2014, the EU has clearly stated that progress in fighting corruption and organized crime is necessary to achieve accession goals. If Diella can successfully advance this goal, Albania will gain substantial benefits.
Despite Rama's confidence in AI, there are also opposing voices. Jorida Tabaku, a member of the opposition Democratic Party, told The Politician that governance reforms can only be achieved "in the right hands," otherwise they could become "digital camouflage, continuing old dysfunctional systems."
Key points:
🌟 Albania appoints the world's first AI minister, dedicated to eliminating corruption in public procurement.
🤖 New Minister Diella has been serving as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform, helping citizens access public service information.
🇦🇱 Albania hopes to use AI reform to promote its EU membership and improve the corruption situation.
