Albania has become the first country in the world to appoint a virtual minister, created using artificial intelligence technologies. The new minister is named Diella (translated from Albanian as 'sun') and oversees the area of public procurement.
According to the 'Kazinform' news agency, Diella is already known to the country's citizens, as she is responsible for the operation of the national e-Albania digital platform, which provides the population with access to virtually all government services online.
The virtual minister has been given a visual image — an avatar of a young woman in a traditional Albanian costume.
Albania's Prime Minister, Edi Rama, presented the initiative as a breakthrough in the field of digital governance.
'Diella is the first member of the party who is not physically present, but virtually created by artificial intelligence. Albania will become a country where government tenders are 100% incorruptible, and where all public funds going through the tender process are absolutely transparent,' the head of government stated.
It is noted that the decision to introduce a virtual minister is linked to the country's long-standing problems with corruption, including in the area of public procurement. This issue has been repeatedly raised in the annual rule of law reports from the European Union.