Diella, Albania's AI Minister, announces 83 assistants for Parliament

Albania has taken a striking step in its institutional digitization: the Prime Minister, Edi Rama, announced that Diella, the minister of Artificial Intelligence The country will have 83 digital assistants to support parliamentary work. The formula is deliberately symbolic—a “pregnant” AI—but the purpose is practical: strengthen efficiency and transparency in legislative activity.

The project builds on Diella's recent experience. She started as a virtual assistant in e-Albania To facilitate procedures for citizens, she was incorporated into the cabinet in September with a clear mandate: to supervise public tenders and purchases with objective criteria to reduce corruption. The official priority It is about securing the contract with full traceability and auditable decisions.

What has the Government announced and what will the 83 attendees do?

As Rama explained at a forum held in Berlin, each of Diella's "children" will act as a personalized support for a member of the Socialist Party in Parliament. These systems will follow the debates in real time. They will prepare minutes and summariesThey will detect relevant mentions and, if the deputy is absent, they will notify him of key points to intervene quickly.

The Executive maintains that the attendees will inherit the "knowledge" of their "mother," with special attention to european legislation and internal procedures, so that they can suggest responses or amendments based on regulations. The premise is to complement, not replace, human work, reducing repetitive tasks and improving the parliamentary preparation.

The rollout will be phased throughout 2026, with pilot programs and gradual adjustments. This stage will involve measuring performance using activity indicators—such as the quality of summaries, response times and accuracy in tracking—to ensure that digital support provides tangible value.

From citizen bot to ministerial portfolio: the origin of Diella

Diella started in January as a virtual guide on the state portal, where she helped people and businesses locate official documentos and to carry out procedures online. Her move to digital minister in September consolidated a political commitment: to integrate AI into sensitive processes with the promise of more control and less opacity in administrative decisions.

Her avatar is presented as a woman in traditional Zadrimë attire, a cultural nod that seeks to connect modernization and National identityThis visual resource has generated debate about gender stereotypes and symbolism, but the Government frames it as part of its narrative of innovation and transparency.

Transparency and public procurement: the Government's promise

Diella's portfolio focuses on procurement: evaluating tenders using objective criteria—price, quality, or experience—, registering the processes, and publishing results to facilitate the public scrutinyWith this, the Albanian cabinet aims to ensure that every decision leaves a verifiable digital footprint and to reduce opportunities for informal arrangements or improper payments.

The official discourse speaks of "algorithmic impartiality," although it admits to human oversight and external audits. For the promise of "100% transparency"To be credible, experts recommend model traceability, bias assessment, and appeal mechanisms, so that the use of AI does not introduce new black boxes into administration."

Europe looks to Tirana: doubts, risks and opportunities

The initiative has sparked both interest and skepticism in Europe. Academics and analysts warn of legitimacy risksElevating an avatar to ministerial rank can confuse technological spectacle with democratic authority if there are no clear rules of accountability and parliamentary control over the system.

They also point out risks of ciberseguridad and technological dependence on foreign suppliers, a recurring concern in the EU. Some European centers have stressed that Albania still needs to strengthen its AI governance and align with international standards, in parallel with the progress of the European AI Regulation and its own agenda for joining the Union.

For Tirana, the movement has a political component: to improve the rule of law and the public trust In the context of the European integration process, success will depend less on sensational headlines and more on verifiable results in integrity, security, and quality of services.

Calendar and next steps

The Government's plan includes consolidating Diella's assistants in Parliament during 2026, with training for MPs and teams, controlled tests and continuous evaluation. The roadmap includes publishing regular reports on performance, incidents and improvements, as well as opening spaces for auditing and consultation with civil society.

If the metrics are accurate and the monitoring is effective, Albania could turn a unique experiment into a European benchmark for responsible use of institutional AI; otherwise, the risk is that the initiative will remain a symbolic gesture with no real impact on transparency.

With a focus on Parliament and public procurement, Diella and her 83 assistants aim to professionalize legislative work. shorten times of processing and reducing arbitrariness; the challenge lies in safeguarding security, accountability and alignment with European standards so that the technological promise translates into practical and lasting improvements.