Albania Appoints World’s First AI Cabinet Minister

Why in News ?

• In 2025, Albania made history by appointing the world’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered cabinet minister named “Diella”.
• This move is seen as a major step toward innovation in digital governance and reducing corruption.
• Prime Minister Edi Rama, at a Socialist Party meeting in Tirana, assigned Diella the responsibility of managing public procurement and tenders.

Who is Diella ?

Diella is not a human minister but a virtual AI avatar integrated into Albania’s digital governance portal e-Albania.

• Name Origin: The word “Diella” in Albanian means “Sun”.
• Role: Oversee public tenders and procurement, ensuring transparency and fairness.
• Capabilities: Process bureaucratic requests through voice commands; has already facilitated 36,600 digital documents and nearly 1,000 services.
• Diella is not just symbolic but an active minister with real responsibilities.

Why Focus on Public Procurement ?

Public procurement in Albania is considered highly prone to corruption. By entrusting this department to an AI-driven minister, the government aims to:

• Reduce corruption by removing human bias.
• Ensure fairness in tenders.
• Improve efficiency in bureaucratic processes.
  Prime Minister Rama said Diella is “the first member who is not physically present but created virtually by AI.”

Broader Context

• In January 2025, Edi Rama had hinted at the possibility of appointing an AI leader.
• This is the world’s first attempt to include AI at a cabinet level.
• Diella’s success or failure will influence the global debate on AI’s role in governance.

Praise and Criticism

• Supporters: Hail it as bold innovation and a symbol of improved transparency and efficiency.
• Critics: Warn that even a single flaw in the AI system could trigger a governance crisis.
• Accountability: A debate has emerged on whether responsibility for Diella’s decisions lies with the AI itself, its developers, or the government.

Significance for Governance

• Global First: Albania is the first country to appoint AI as a cabinet minister.
• Digital Governance Symbol: A model of using AI to reduce corruption and improve service delivery.
• Test Case: Diella’s performance will shape the future of AI policy and its use in governance.

Key Facts

• Country: Albania
• Name: Diella (means Sun)
• Portfolio: Public procurement and tenders
• Platform: e-Albania portal
• Importance: World’s first AI cabinet minister