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In a symbolic gesture during his fourth term, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has appointed Diella, an artificial intelligence bot, to oversee public procurement. The move, announced in mid-September 2025, is aimed at combating corruption in government tenders and marks a bold experiment in using AI for governance.
Diella, whose name means “Sun” in Albanian, is not a human politician but a virtual AI entity. She was first launched in January 2025 on Albania’s e-Albania platform as a digital assistant to help citizens access government services online. In her new capacity, Diella is tasked with managing and awarding all public tenders.
According to Rama, this system is designed to make tenders “100 percent free of corruption” by eliminating human bias and undue influence from the process. The appointment is also part of a broader government effort to modernize public administration and meet EU accession requirements, which include tackling widespread corruption.
Despite the fanfare, Diella’s appointment has sparked constitutional and oversight questions. Opposition leaders have called the move unconstitutional, arguing that government ministers must be mentally competent citizens over the age of 18 as required by the Albanian constitution.
President Bajram Begaj has so far stopped short of officially confirming Diella’s status as a minister, while opposition figures have dismissed the decision as “buffoonery.” There is still no clarity on how much human oversight will be applied to Diella’s decisions or how those decisions will be audited or appealed.
Reactions to the announcement have been mixed. While some see Diella as a bold and symbolic step toward transparency, skepticism is widespread. Critics worry that an AI system could be manipulated within a political ecosystem where corruption remains deeply entrenched. Others argue that true reform requires more than just automation, calling for institutional change, stronger regulatory enforcement, and clear legal safeguards. Legal experts have also warned that without well-defined governance rules, legal responsibilities, and accountability mechanisms, Diella could end up being a scapegoat or even a political tool.
