Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama awaits the first arrivals at the beginning of the EPC Summit in Tirana, Albania May 16, 2025. Leon Neal/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Albania has taken a pretty unusual step in the fight against corruption. Prime Minister Edi Rama has appointed an AI bot named Diella as a government minister, with a job that would normally be reserved for humans. According to Reuters, Diella will oversee public procurement and the awarding of contracts, which are areas that have long been hot spots for corruption in the country.
The name Diella translates to “sun” in Albanian, and the bot isn’t entirely new to government work. She’s been active since early 2025 on the e-Albania portal, where citizens use her to access services, file documents, and even get official stamps. This new role is a big jump though, giving her authority to decide who wins government tenders, something Rama insists will help keep the process “completely free of corruption.”
Corruption has been a major stumbling block for Albania as it pushes toward joining the European Union by 2030. Bribery and favoritism in awarding contracts have been deeply entrenched problems, so the government is pitching Diella as a way to cut out human bias. If the algorithm is running the show, the theory goes, then influence and backroom deals won’t get in the way.
Not everyone is convinced. Critics argue that AI can only be as fair as the data and rules that shape it. If the system itself has weaknesses, or if humans can still influence outcomes behind the scenes, corruption may just take a different form. Skeptics also question whether an AI should have this much direct power without clear oversight or constitutional standing.
Still, the experiment has grabbed attention. Other governments have flirted with AI in administration, but giving a bot an actual ministerial portfolio is a first. For citizens, there’s a mix of hope and doubt. Some welcome the change, saying it might finally speed up and clean up a process that has frustrated them for years. Others wonder if it’s just political theater.
If it works, Diella could set a precedent for countries struggling with transparency in governance. If it fails, it could highlight just how hard it is to code fairness into politics. Either way, Albania’s experiment shows how AI is starting to move beyond customer service and tech labs, into places where its decisions carry real weight.
