Albania has taken a bold step by appointing Diella, an AI assistant, as its digital cabinet minister in charge of public procurement. The idea is simple: use technology to fight corruption and make government contracts more transparent.

Since January, Diella, whose name fittingly means “Sun” in Albanian, has been working behind the scenes on the e-Albania platform. She’s already helping citizens with almost all government services, using voice commands to guide them through paperwork, applications, and questions, all without the need to visit a government office.

From Citizen Helper to Cabinet Role

Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that Diella, the first minister to exist solely in digital form, would now assume responsibility for managing public tenders. He described her as “the servant of public procurement”.

He further revealed that the plan is to gradually transfer decision-making power in awarding government contracts from human ministries to AI. Diella would review bids and select winners purely on merit, ensuring that all public spending via tenders is “100 per cent clear”.

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Tackling Long-Standing Graft

For Rama, this approach is not merely about modernisation; it is an effort to address Albania’s deep-rooted corruption in public procurement. Historically, public tenders in Albania have been marred by allegations of bribery and favouritism. The country has also been cited as a hub for money laundering by international crime networks.

Rama argues that by removing potentially compromised human influence, AI may succeed where decades of reform failed. He reiterated that Diella will help make Albania a nation where public tenders are completely free of corruption.

Reactions and Risks

Albanian media has generally welcomed the move, describing it as a dramatic redefinition of how administrative power is conceived and operated—where technology becomes not just a tool but an active participant.

However, this bold experiment raises critical questions. Can algorithms truly outperform human oversight in curbing corruption? Will Albania become a model for government AI, or could this turn into a cautionary tale?

At present, Prime Minister Rama appears confident in the plan. Whether Diella becomes a political success or a controversial experiment remains one of Europe’s governance stories to watch.