Diella (Albanian for “sun”) is the name of an AI chatbot that previously did its work for the Albanian government portal. Now, however, there has been a promotion that probably the smartest AI on the planet could not have foreseen: Diella is the first artificial intelligence to be officially appointed to a ministerial office. In future, the virtual minister will be responsible for public tenders – an area that has repeatedly attracted attention in the Balkan country due to corruption and a lack of transparency.

Fighting corruption with AI

Prime Minister Edi Rama – himself not without controversy – presented Diella as “incorruptible and transparent”. The AI should award contracts more fairly than human politicians could. At the same time, it should ensure that human influence is minimized. In this way, the Albanian government hopes to regain trust in state procedures.

However, it remains to be seen whether this step will actually ensure greater transparency, as questions remain unanswered. Initial critics are already questioning how independently an AI can work in an environment in which political control and power structures continue to exist. The question of who exactly is responsible for the programming and who ultimately reviews the decisions also remains unanswered.

If we look around the world, there is great dissatisfaction with politics in many countries. We know this from many European countries, in which people are increasingly taking to the streets against their governments. In the USA, people are now even questioning whether democracy itself is still safe, and we could list many more countries where discontent is growing.

Can we reduce disenchantment with politics through AI?

It is, therefore, a legitimate question as to how we can convince people again that politics can improve things for the benefit of citizens. At the same time, the question arises as to whether artificial intelligence can be the perfect answer. Can a politician regain trust through a technology that is also struggling with a lack of trust in parts of the population?

As AI will sooner or later surpass human intelligence, we need to address this issue. For some, what Albania is doing right now is an exciting experiment in digitalization. For others, however, it may also be a political signal with questionable practical value.

One thing is certain: Albania has set an international precedent with Diella. Whether AI can actually strengthen trust in politics in the end is likely to be closely observed far beyond the country’s borders. We will, of course, continue to follow this with interest.

Until then, you can let us know what you think: is AI-supported politics the future or just another political aberration?

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