Albania's AI virtual assistant Diella has just been promoted to the position of 'minister'.

The Albanian government has just introduced Diella – an AI-generated virtual assistant, becoming the country’s first “AI politician.” Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that Diella, a cabinet member who does not have a physical presence, has been tasked with keeping Albania “100% corruption-free” by overseeing all public procurement activities – a sector that has faced many scandals.

Previously, Diella operated on the e-Albania platform, assisting citizens and businesses in issuing more than 36,600 digital documents, providing nearly 1,000 services, and helping to reduce bureaucratic procedures. However, Rama has not specified the supervision mechanism or how to handle errors when AI makes mistakes.

This move marks a significant step forward as AI takes part in government operations, following the case of Ukraine launching an AI spokesperson in 2023. While boldly adopting AI, Albania remains cautious about cryptocurrencies, despite having issued a legal framework since 2020.