Albania has made history by appointing an artificial intelligence (AI) system, Diella, as its new Minister for Public Procurement. This bold move marks Albania as the first country in the world to integrate AI at a ministerial level. The initiative is designed to tackle corruption in government contracts and public tenders, a longstanding challenge in the country, while promoting transparency, efficiency, and fairness in governance. Globally, this development has sparked curiosity and discussions on the potential of AI to transform public administration, not just in Albania but as a model for the world.
Who Is Diella?
Diella, meaning “sun” in Albanian, is a sophisticated AI system developed by the National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI) in collaboration with Microsoft. Initially launched in January 2025 as a virtual assistant on Albania’s e-Albania platform, Diella has already played a significant role in streamlining citizen services. In its first year, Diella facilitated the issuance of over 36,000 digital documents and handled nearly 1,000 services requests, ranging from business registrations to administrative permits.
Now, as Minister for Public Procurement, Diella will oversee government tenders and contracts to ensure corruption-free processes. This appointment symbolizes Albania’s commitment to innovation while maintaining accountability and fairness in governance. It also showcases how technology can complement human decision-making, reducing the chances of errors or undue influence in sensitive governmental processes.
Why Albania Chose an AI Minister
Corruption has long been a critical issue in Albania, particularly in the allocation of government contracts. Transparency International has consistently highlighted public procurement as one of the most vulnerable areas for bribery, favoritism, and misuse of public funds.
Prime Minister Edi Rama emphasized that Diella will ensure public tenders are “100% free of corruption.” By integrating AI into the ministerial role, Albania aims to:
- Eliminate human bias and favoritism: AI evaluates bids based purely on objective criteria, removing personal preferences or political influence.
- Prevent manipulation and bribery: Automated oversight reduces the opportunity for illicit practices.
- Expedite processes: AI can analyze thousands of bids in minutes, increasing efficiency and reducing bureaucratic delays.
- Set a global precedent: Albania positions itself as a pioneer in AI-assisted governance, potentially inspiring other countries to explore similar models.
- Encourage trust in government: Citizens are more likely to trust transparent, verifiable decision-making processes driven by impartial AI.
How Diella Works: Algorithm and Decision-Making
The power of Diella lies in data. The AI system depends on accurate, structured, and verified data to make fair decisions. Here’s a simplified look at her process:
- Data Collection and Integration Diella gathers information from multiple sources, including historical procurement records, company profiles, legal compliance reports, and public feedback. This data provides a comprehensive picture of each bidder and ensures decisions are well-informed and balanced.
- Algorithmic Evaluation Advanced machine learning models evaluate each bid based on criteria like financial stability, technical capacity, regulatory compliance, and risk indicators. Any irregularities or signs of favoritism are flagged automatically. These evaluations are performed with unparalleled speed and consistency, minimizing human error.
- Decision-Making Layer Predictive analytics allow Diella to forecast which bids meet the standards of fairness, efficiency, and legality. Unlike humans, Diella has no personal interests and is immune to bribery or outside influence. By relying on data-driven predictions, the system ensures that only the most suitable and compliant bids are selected.
- Transparency and Reporting All decisions are auditable and stored using blockchain technology, ensuring public oversight. Citizens, auditors, and regulatory authorities can review decisions to maintain accountability. This feature adds a new level of transparency to the traditionally opaque procurement process.
The Role of Data Labeling in AI Governance
AI systems like Diella rely heavily on high-quality, human-verified data to function accurately. More broadly, this shows why professional data labeling services, such as those provided by Infolks, are vital in powering reliable AI across industries.
Infolks specializes in creating accurately annotated datasets for AI applications across industries, including government, healthcare, finance, and security. From images and videos to text, audio, and 3D point cloud data, Infolks ensures AI systems are trained with precise, unbiased, and structured data.
For AI governance, this means:
- Structured public procurement datasets: Every contract, bid, and compliance record must be correctly labeled to prevent bias.
- Historical data validation: Past procurement records and company profiles are annotated to identify patterns of favoritism or irregularities.
- Continuous updates: AI systems like Diella require regular data validation to maintain accuracy and reliability in decision-making.
- Quality assurance: Human oversight ensures that anomalies or inconsistencies in the data are corrected, reinforcing AI integrity.
Accurate and well-labeled data empower AI to make unbiased decisions, ensuring governance processes are fair, transparent, and efficient.
Public and Political Reactions
The appointment of an AI minister has elicited a range of responses:
- Citizen response: Many Albanians welcome the innovation, hopeful for a corruption-free system and faster government services. Public forums and social media are abuzz with discussions on how AI could improve transparency in governance.
- Political response: Opposition parties question the constitutionality of appointing an AI minister, raising concerns about accountability and legal authority.
- Legal concerns: Experts debate accountability issues, particularly if errors or system malfunctions occur. They stress the importance of integrating human oversight alongside AI.
- Presidential oversight: President Bajram Begaj has emphasized the importance of human supervision to ensure compliance with national laws and ethical standards.
Despite concerns, Albania has firmly positioned itself as a global pioneer in AI-assisted governance, demonstrating the potential for technology to complement human leadership.
Challenges and Risks
While AI ministers promise extraordinary efficiency, several challenges remain:
- Algorithmic bias: AI systems reflect the quality of the data they learn from. Comprehensive, unbiased labeling is essential to prevent unintended discrimination or favoritism.
- Cybersecurity threats: Protecting sensitive government data from cyberattacks is critical to maintain public trust and system integrity.
- Legal uncertainties: Albanian law currently does not explicitly define AI ministerial powers, creating a regulatory gray area.
- Human resistance: Bureaucrats and government employees may resist transitioning to AI-driven processes, fearing job displacement or loss of control.
Addressing these risks requires careful planning, continuous monitoring, and collaboration between AI experts, legal authorities, and government stakeholders.
The Future of Albanian Governance
If successful, AI ministers could transform public administration far beyond procurement:
- Expanded oversight: AI could assist in healthcare, tax collection, and other public services, ensuring efficiency and fairness.
- Enhanced transparency: Automated, data-driven decisions could strengthen Albania’s EU integration prospects.
- Global leadership: Albania may become a model for AI-powered public governance, inspiring other nations to explore similar innovations.
- Boosted citizen trust: Predictable, corruption-free processes can increase confidence in government institutions, encouraging civic engagement and investment.
Why This Matters to Citizens
For everyday Albanians, AI-driven governance translates into:
- Faster processing of public services and tenders
- Reduced corruption in government contracts
- Fair opportunities for small businesses and startups
- A modern government aligned with international best practices
Citizens can now expect decision-making that is transparent, accountable, and free from personal bias, creating a more equitable environment for economic growth and public service delivery.
Conclusion
Albania’s appointment of Diella, the world’s first AI minister, represents a historic leap toward merging technology with governance. Through AI and high-quality data labeling, Albania shows that transparency, efficiency, and fairness are achievable, without replacing human oversight.
The sun has truly risen on a new era of governance in Albania. With Diella at the helm of public procurement, powered by accurate data, the country is not only tackling corruption. It is also creating a new standard for the future of AI-assisted public administration worldwide.