- Albania appointed an AI-powered virtual assistant, Diella, to oversee government procurement and combat corruption.
- Prime Minister Edi Rama announced Diella as a digital cabinet member, aiming to keep Albania “100% free of corruption.”
- Diella has processed over 36,600 digital documents and offered almost 1,000 government services through the e-Albania platform.
- No details were provided on oversight or accountability regarding Diella’s actions or potential errors.
- The move follows decades of corruption scandals in Albania, which has hindered its bid for European Union membership.
The government of Albania has introduced an Artificial Intelligence-powered virtual assistant named Diella to serve as a cabinet-level official. On Thursday, Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that Diella, previously a digital assistant on the e-Albania platform, will oversee all public procurement to help eliminate corruption in government dealings.
According to official reports, Diella’s responsibilities include managing purchases of goods and services for the government—a sector that has been heavily affected by corruption scandals over the past years. Rama stated that Diella’s appointment is part of a broader effort to keep the nation’s administration “100% free of corruption”.
The AI system, whose name means “sun” in Albanian, has so far processed more than 36,600 digital documents and facilitated nearly 1,000 public services for citizens and businesses using voice commands on the digital platform. Diella’s functions include issuing official documents with electronic verification, streamlining access to vital services, and reducing bureaucratic delays.
While introducing Diella as a digital cabinet minister, Rama did not address questions about oversight, accountability for potential mistakes, or how the government would prevent manipulation of the AI. The announcement draws international comparisons to Ukraine’s use of an AI representative, “Victoria Shi,” for government communications, as detailed by Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in May 2024.
Albania’s adoption of AI comes amid ongoing efforts to control corruption, which has included recent charges against public figures such as Tirana’s mayor Erion Veliaj and former president Illir Meta. In 2023, former environmental minister Lefter Koka was sentenced to more than six years in prison after taking a bribe worth $4.3 million linked to a public project (source).
Albania has had limited success in controlling corruption, which has delayed its entry into the European Union since it applied for membership in 2014. Despite earlier moves to establish regulations for cryptocurrency in 2020, official warnings from the Bank of Albania have limited crypto adoption.
Prime Minister Rama has expressed hope for EU membership by 2030, counting on technological solutions like Diella to bring positive change.
✅ Follow BITNEWSBOT on Telegram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X.com, and Google News for instant updates.
Previous Articles:
- Chainlink (LINK) Eyes $30 as Whale Activity Surges, Bullish Trend
- Dogecoin Surges 20% as Treasury Buys $125M, ETF Launches Friday
- XRP Eyes $250B Market Cap as SEC Lawsuit Ends, ETF Hopes Rise
- Saylor’s STRK Omitted as Strategy Lists Options for Other Shares
- Ether Stalls Below $4,500 Despite ETF Inflows and S&P 500 Rally
