Albania has made global headlines by creating history, as it has become the first country to appoint an artificial intelligence (AI) based minister. The name of this minister is Diella, which has been prepared with the aim of fighting corruption and bringing transparency in public expenses. Prime Minister Edi Rama announced this and said that in the projects of the Diella government, all public tenders associated with private contractors will monitor. Let us tell you that the name of Diela means “Surya” in Albanian language. Prime Minister Edi Rama said, “It is a member of the cabinet who is not physically present, but is virtual with artificial intelligence.”
Let us tell you that in January 2025, Diela, launched as a voice assistant on the E-Albania platform, was initially created to guide government services to citizens. Since then it has processed over 36,000 digital documents and has provided around 1,000 services to citizens. Now promoted to the post of minister, Diela has become the first AI minister in the world to manage decisions related to government contracts. Prime Minister Rama said that every public tender under the supervision of Diela will be “100% corruption-free” and complete transparency will be kept in the distribution of funds.
If seen, this step has been taken in the context of the problem of long -standing corruption in Albania. Public tenders in this Balkan country with a population of 28 lakhs have often been affected by scams. The international network has been alleged to have used this country to wash black money earned from drugs and weapons smuggling. Reports also said that corruption had reached the highest levels of the government. Now, by turning to the AI system, the Albanian government is hoping that it will be able to end human bias, prevent agreements like “Quid Pro Quo” and reduce the threat of manipulation in government contracts.
In addition, this appointment is also associated with Albania’s ambition to join the European Union (EU) by 2030, where it is an important condition to curb corruption. Experts say Diella’s beginning may strengthen Albania’s credibility among European leaders, as public money misuse has long interrupted membership negotiations. Although this initiative is considered revolutionary, the government has not yet clarified whether there will be human monitoring with Diella’s decisions. Meanwhile, analysts have warned that advanced AI systems may also be a victim of manipulation if not taken adequate security measures.
However, there is no doubt that appointing AI based minister by Albania is undoubtedly a significant turn in the history of world politics and governance. This step is not only a symbol of technological innovation, but also reflects political will to deal with deep root problems like corruption. Albania has long been struggling with challenges like corruption and money refinement. In such a situation, the appointment of AI minister Diela gives the message that after failing to find solutions in traditional methods, now technology is being taken asylum. If Diela is actually able to guarantee “100% corruption-free” tenders, it can also become an exemplary model for other countries.
But it will also have to be noted that even though AI has the ability to make fast, fair and data-based decisions, it is not completely flawless. The structure of the algorithm, the data behind it and only those who control it decide its direction. In such a situation, the question arises that if there is any kind of programming error or cyber intervention in Diella, will she really be able to save from corruption? And will the public trust the decision as much as on an elected representative?
In addition, in democracy, the public makes its representatives accountable. But how would it be possible to justify a “virtual minister” accountable? It is also not clear who will be the final signature on Diella’s decisions – AI or of a human officer. If human monitoring is removed, it can challenge the principle of democratic responsibility.
However, this use of Albania is a courageous step taken towards future politics. This will definitely force those countries to think where the problem of corruption is deep. But it has to be remembered that technology is not a miraculous medicine; It will be as effective as it will be used honestly. If Diella becomes a symbol of corruption-free governance, it can be the beginning of “AI democracy” in global politics. But if it is limited to only appearance, then this experiment itself can also create a new definition of corruption.