Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has appointed the world’s first AI-generated government minister, Diella, on September 11. This groundbreaking move aims to oversee public tenders and promises a "corruption-free" system.
As he embarks on his fourth term, Edi Rama announced on Thursday that Diella -meaning "sun" in Albanian, will manage and award all public tenders. These tenders involve government contracts with private companies for various projects.
In Albania, a Balkan nation with a history of organized crime and corruption, the awarding of contracts has frequently been a source of scandal, with corruption reaching the highest ranks of power.
“Diella is the first (government) member who is not physically present, but virtually created by artificial intelligence,” Rama stated.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama awaits the first arrivals at the beginning of the EPC Summit in Tirana, Albania, May 16, 2025. (Photo/Arab News)
This new minister, tasked with handling public procurement, is designed to be impervious to bribes, threats, or attempts to gain any favor.
Diella will be entrusted with all decisions on public tenders, making them “100% corruption-free and every public fund submitted to the tender procedure will be perfectly transparent,” Rama added.
Diella was initially launched in January as an AI-powered virtual assistant, resembling a woman in traditional Albanian costume, to assist citizens in using the official e-Albania platform for documents and services.
A bold step in Albanian government technology!There are many protests to overthrow the government because of corruption going on in the world. $Diella is the solution created.When she is an AI.Of course she cannot take bribes.And will always be transparent.She will be the most… pic.twitter.com/a3RosSexPU
— Deg (@d_e_gX) September 11, 2025
According to official figures from the Albanian government, Diella has so far facilitated the issuance of 36,600 digital documents and provided nearly 1,000 services through the platform.
Rama, who secured a fourth term in the recent elections, is expected to present his new cabinet to lawmakers in the coming days.
The fight against corruption, particularly within public administration, is a crucial criterion for Albania’s bid to join the European Union.
Rama aspires to lead the Balkan nation of 2.8 million people into the political bloc by 2030.