Albania appoints chatbot as world's first AI government minister
'Not here to replace people,' AI minister says in first address to Parliament
Albania has become the first nation in the world to appoint an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot as a government minister.
The bot, named Diella, or “sun" in Albanian, is the country’s new minister for public procurement after Prime Minister Edi Rama made the official announcement earlier this month, according to Politico.
Predicting that Diella would help Albania — known for a legacy of public corruption — work toward the goal of making public tenders “corruption-free,” Rama, 61, reportedly said while introducing his new cabinet that Diella will serve as the “first [cabinet] member who isn’t physically present but is virtually created by AI."
Originally launched earlier this year as a consumer-facing chatbot for the Albanian government website, Diella, which was created using AI models from Microsoft, has already helped citizens and businesses apply for state documents and other services using voice commands, according to an Albanian TV report.
In the AI-generated minister’s first address to Parliament this week, the chatbot defended its role, adding it is “not here to replace people, but to assist them.”
“I am not here to replace people but to assist them,” Diella says in the Sept. 18 video. “Truly, I do not have citizenship, nor do I have any personal ambition or interests. I only have data, a thirst for knowledge and algorithms dedicated to serving citizens impartially, transparently and tirelessly. Isn't this precisely the spirit of constitutional democracy? Exercising power in the service of everyone free from bias, discrimination, nepotism or corruption?”
A European Union (EU) report in July identified corruption and judicial reforms in Albania as key steps toward the Muslim-majority nation joining the European bloc.
Diella might be a sign of the future for government officials. In May 2024, Ukraine debuted its own AI spokesperson, “Victoria Shi,” an AI “digital person” tasked with providing diplomatic and political updates.
“Dear members of the media and the public, I welcome you. My name is Victoria Shi,” the chatbot said in the video provided by the Ukrainian government. “I have been created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine using artificial intelligence to provide you with timely and high-quality information on consular affairs.”
???? Meet Victoria Shi — a digital representative of the MFA of Ukraine, created using AI to provide timely updates on consular affairs!
— MFA of Ukraine ???????? (@MFA_Ukraine) May 1, 2024
For the first time in history, the MFA of Ukraine has presented a digital persona that will officially comment for the media. pic.twitter.com/KTtuCVR1ku
The chatbot also referred to itself as “a digital person,” adding, “That means that the text you hear was not read by a real person. It was generated by artificial intelligence.”
Albania’s move aligns with a growing trend of governments leveraging AI in a reported aim to enhance efficiency and transparency. Under its “Smart Nation 2.0” initiative, Singapore has implemented AI systems for public sector procurement since 2020, using predictive analytics to detect irregularities, according to a 2023 report by the World Economic Forum.
Earlier this year, Estonia adopted fully AI government interfaces to streamline tax collection and public services.
