Prime Minister Edi Rama on Thursday introduced an artificial intelligence entity known as Diella as a member of his new cabinet and as minister for public procurement, saying the digital official would help make public tenders "100% free of corruption." The move is symbolic rather than legal: Albania's constitution requires ministers to be mentally competent citizens at least 18 years old.
Rama presented Diella four months after securing a fourth term in May elections, saying the AI will speed up procurement, increase efficiency and make the process fully accountable. "We're working with a brilliant team, which is not only Albanian but also international, to come out with the first full AI model in public procurement," he told the BBC, adding that the system would remove "every potential influence on public biddings."
Diella's first incarnation was an AI-powered virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform, where Rama said the tool has assisted more than one million applications for official documents. The prime minister framed the cabinet appointment as both practical and performative, acknowledging an element of publicity but saying the initiative is intended to pressure other ministers and national agencies to "run and think differently."
Reactions were mixed. The opposition Democratic Party labelled the initiative "ridiculous" and "unconstitutional," arguing a non-human cannot hold a ministerial post under current law. Private-sector and anti-corruption experts expressed cautious optimism that AI could be used to reduce graft if systems are correctly designed and overseen.
Aneida Bajraktari Bicja, founder of financial services firm Balkans Capital, said Rama often blends reform with theatrics and that skepticism is natural, but added the experiment "could be constructive if it develops into real systems that improve transparency and trust in public procurement." Dr. Andi Hoxhaj, a Western Balkans and corruption specialist at King's College London, said AI is a new tool that, if properly programmed, can make it easier to determine whether bidders meet stated conditions and criteria.
Albania's EU accession prospects add urgency to anti-corruption efforts. Brussels has urged Tirana to accelerate reforms and complete negotiations by 2027, and officials say progress on tackling graft is a central precondition for membership discussions.
Details on how Diella would operate in practice were limited. Rama said the country was developing "the first full AI model in public procurement" with domestic and international partners, but he did not provide a timeline for deployment, the model's technical specifications, or the legal and oversight frameworks that would govern its use.
Legal and governance questions remain. Constitutional rules prevent an AI from formally serving as a minister, and experts note that any system handling procurement must be auditable, transparent, and subject to human accountability to guard against bias, errors or manipulation. Privacy, data security and the potential for algorithmic opacity are among concerns experts say should be addressed before scaling an automated role into core state functions.
Rama argues the novelty itself is an asset, saying the AI appointment exerts pressure on human officials to change entrenched practices. Supporters say AI could reduce opportunities for illicit influence by automating checks, standardising evaluations and creating immutable logs of tender processes. Critics caution that technology is not a substitute for institutional reforms, independent oversight and legal safeguards.
For now, Diella remains a symbolic cabinet member and an evolving project. Albanian officials, tech partners and outside observers said further details and legal adaptations would be required before an AI-driven procurement system could replace or formally assume duties now carried out by human ministers and civil servants. The announcement has renewed debate in Tirana about how to balance innovation with the rule of law as Albania seeks to modernise state functions and meet European Union conditions for deeper integration.