Albania’s AI minister “Diella” is modeled on the actress Anila Bisha.Image: keystone
May 27, 2026, 7:05 p.mMay 27, 2026, 7:08 p.m
An AI should act as a minister against corruption in procurement. Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama came up with this extraordinary idea and launched the concept last year. Now the artificial intelligence is called Diella in serious trouble: their developers are said to be fraudsters.
5 to 10 million euros
The national information agency “Akshi” reports directly to the prime minister and developed the chatbot together with Microsoft. In December 2025, both the agency management and her deputy were placed under house arrest. They are accused of leading a criminal organization that manipulated public contracts, served favored companies and sorted out competitors through coercion and even kidnapping. According to estimates, the allegedly corrupt AI minister diverted 5 to 10 million euros in illegal ways, such as NZZ reported.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.Image: keystone
According to critics, Diella does not fight corruption, but rather covers it up. The source code is not visible, the basis for decisions remains unclear, and responsibility for errors is unclear. The opposition rejected the project from the start as unconstitutional and propagandistic.
Anila Bisha is the actress who gave voice and looks to Diella. She is now filing a lawsuit. Your avatar will be used without consent; the original contract for the e-Albania chatbot expired at the end of 2025. The government rejects the allegations as baseless.
Rama introduced the virtual minister in autumn 2024 and emphasized its advantages: The AI automatically compares offers in public tenders and is intended to completely exclude bribery. With the saying “Diella has no cousins,” Rama drew attention to the nepotism problem in Albania.