Albania Appoints AI “Minister” to Combat Corruption in a World First

Albania Appoints AI “Minister” to Combat Corruption in a World First
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Albania has introduced a new, AI-created “minister” named Diella to oversee the country’s public procurement system in an effort to eliminate corruption. According to a report by The Guardian, Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that Diella is the nation’s first virtual cabinet member and will be responsible for ensuring that public tenders are “100% free of corruption.”

The AI, whose name means “Sun” in Albanian, will gradually take over the process of deciding the winners of public tenders, a role currently held by government ministries. Prime Minister Rama believes that the use of AI will remove opportunities for bribes, threats, and conflicts of interest. Diella has been functioning since January, providing assistance to citizens with government services on the e-Albania portal through voice commands. While some Albanian media outlets have praised the initiative, others remain skeptical, with one social media user quoted as saying that “even Diella will be corrupted.”