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4w ago

Albania Makes AI 'Diella' Procurement Minister as Opposition Calls Move Unconstitutional

The government presents the rollout as an anti-corruption reform tied to EU accession targets with oversight and security details still undisclosed.

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Diella es el nuevo miembro del gabinete del gobierno albano; nació como un asistente digital para trámites y ahora gestionará las licitaciones de obra pública para intentar frenar la corrupción en ese país
FILE PHOTO: Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama awaits the first arrivals at the beginning of the EPC Summit in Tirana, Albania May 16, 2025. Leon Neal/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
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Overview

  • Prime Minister Edi Rama said Diella will evaluate, manage and adjudicate all public tenders, removing ministers from the process and pledging procurement that is 100% free of corruption.
  • The Democratic Party leader Gazment Bardhi condemned the decree as unconstitutional, citing provisions that require ministers to be Albanian citizens over 18 and mentally capable.
  • Officials describe a gradual transfer of procurement duties to the AI system, and the newly formed cabinet is due to be presented to parliament in the coming days.
  • The government has not explained human supervision, auditability, source-code access or protections against manipulation and cyberattacks for the system.
  • Diella debuted in January on the e‑Albania platform, where it helped issue 36,600 digital documents and nearly 1,000 services, with some outlets reporting use of Microsoft Azure and OpenAI technologies.