Albania has made a courageous move in appointing Diella, an artificial intelligence digital assistant. She has since become the world’s first “virtually created” cabinet minister responsible for public procurement. This groundbreaking decision, first announced by Prime Minister Edi Rama, is a remarkable improvement to the cabinet of his fourth—yes, fourth—consecutive government. In doing so, Diella hopes to increase government transparency and decrease corruption within the government’s administration of public tenders.
Diella happens to mean “Sun” in Albanian. Since its launch in January 2023, it has been successfully assisting users on the state’s e-Albania portal. The AI assistant is hands-on, using speech recognition technology to constantly help citizens navigate the bureaucratic obstacles. This strategy allows for simple online access to nearly 95% of government services. Clad in an ethnic Albanian costume on the door, Diella embodies a new ideal of public service.
As the minister responsible for public procurement, Diella will personally oversee every single tender where government contracts with private companies are involved. The RAD AI has been calibrated to evaluate the merits of each and every proposal objectively, resulting in a non-preferential apples-to-apples evaluation process. This initiative is one part of a deeper strategy to reform the Albanian government and curb rampant corruption.
Edi Rama emphasized the importance of this new role, stating that the goal is to create “a country where public tenders are 100% free of corruption.” He is convinced that Diella is the person who can help turn this lofty vision into reality. She will need to assume duties that have traditionally fallen to national government departments.
Diella is personally responsible for deciding winners of public tenders. That key duty had long been left to human officials, but it’s all about improving accountability now. This dramatic shift reflects a deep-seated faith in technology. It shows a bold desire to truly unpack fairness as a core principle in government contracting.
Public reaction has been mixed. Although many residents in jurisdictions that have employed this technology are enthusiastic about this advancement, others are understandably cautious about whether it works. One Facebook user voiced concern, saying, “In Albania, even Diella will be corrupted.” Such sentiments highlight the hurdles that remain, even with the promise of AI’s arrival in government.