Who is Diella? Albania appoints world’s first AI minister; public tenders to be ‘100% corruption free’

Albania has made global headlines by becoming the first country to appoint an AI-powered minister. The minister, Diella, is designed to fight corruption and bring transparency to public spending. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Edi Rama, who revealed that Diella will oversee all public tenders involving private contractors on government projects.The name Diella, which means “sun” in Albanian, is a “member of the Cabinet who is not present physically but has been created virtually from artificial intelligence,” Rama told AP. Initially launched in January 2025 as a voice assistant on the e-Albania platform, Diella was created to guide citizens through government services. Since then, it has processed more than 36,000 digital documents and delivered close to 1,000 services to citizens.Now elevated to the role of minister, Diella becomes the world’s first AI minister responsible for managing decisions related to government contracts. Rama said that every public tender under Diella’s watch will be “100% corruption-free,” with full transparency on the allocation of funds.The move comes against the backdrop of Albania’s long-standing struggle with corruption. Public tenders in the Balkan nation of 2.8 million people have frequently been plagued by scandals, with international networks allegedly using the country to launder profits from drug and arms trafficking. Reports have often suggested that corruption reached the highest levels of government.By turning to an AI system, the Albanian government hopes to eliminate human bias, prevent quid pro quo arrangements, and reduce the risk of manipulation in state contracts.The appointment is also being viewed in the context of Albania’s ambition to join the European Union by 2030, for which, cracking down on corruption is a vital condition. Experts say that the introduction of Diella could strengthen Albania’s credibility with EU leaders, given that misuse of public funds has long hindered progress in membership talks.While the initiative is seen as groundbreaking, the government has yet to specify whether human oversight will accompany Diella’s decisions. Analysts warn that even advanced AI systems can be open to manipulation if not safeguarded adequately.