The Albanian government has become the first to name an artificial intelligence system to a cabinet-level position. The AI, known as Diella, was appointed with a specific mandate to oversee the awarding of government contracts, an area long plagued by corruption.
Prime Minister Edi Rama introduced the virtual minister as part of his new administrative team. The name Diella translates to “sun” in Albanian. The Prime Minister stated that the non-human minister will manage public tenders, the process through which private companies compete for state-funded projects. He argued that an AI is inherently resistant to the bribery and political influence that often taint these decisions.
This initiative is a direct response to Albania’s well-documented struggles with graft in its procurement system. The nation’s history of corruption and its connections to international organized crime have complicated its ambition to join the European Union, a goal Prime Minister Rama has targeted for 2030.
Specifics regarding human supervision of the AI or protocols to prevent its manipulation were not detailed in the announcement.
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Diella is not a new creation. It was initially launched earlier this year as a digital helper on the government’s e-services portal. In that role, it uses voice recognition to assist citizens with paperwork, aiming to reduce bureaucratic delays. Its visual representation is an avatar in traditional dress.
The public reaction has been mixed, with significant skepticism voiced online. Some social media users expressed cynicism, suggesting that corruption is so entrenched that even a machine would not be immune, or that the AI would simply become a scapegoat for ongoing misconduct.
Source: Reuters