World’s First Virtual AI Minister Launched in Albania for Public Procurement Transparency

In a groundbreaking move, Albania has appointed Diella, an AI-powered virtual minister, marking the world’s first instance of such a role. This digital figurehead, responsible for public procurement, was unveiled by Prime Minister Edi Rama during a party assembly on Thursday.

Diella, meaning sunshine in Albanian, will assume duties previously handled by human ministers, with decisions on tenders now to be made outside of ministries and under Diella’s jurisdiction. Rama emphasized that this transition aims to ensure 100% transparency and elimination of corruption in public tenders, a longstanding challenge for Albania.

Diella has already been integrated into the country’s e-Albania platform, providing citizens with digital access to various government services. She appears as an avatar wearing traditional Albanian attire. In addition to evaluating tenders, Diella will leverage global talent pools and work towards breaking down administrative prejudice and rigidity.

This announcement comes after Rama’s earlier musings about a potential digital minister and even an AI prime minister, which many considered speculative at the time. The appointment of Diella signifies a significant step towards modernizing Albania’s public sector and addressing its historical issues with corruption, particularly in the area of public procurement.

Rama’s party secured a historic fourth mandate in May 2025, running on a platform promising Albania’s accession to the European Union by 2030. The integration of Diella into the government structure is expected to further support this goal.