‘The real danger….’: Albania's new AI-generated minister Diella defends role in first parliament speech
Diella, which means Sun in Albanian, defended its role and said that it was "not here to replace people, but to help them."
Albania's new AI-generated minister, Diella, addressed the country's parliament for the first time on Thursday. She said that she wasn't a threat to the constitution and called the inhumane decisions of those in power the “real danger.”
Diella, which means Sun in Albanian, defended its role and said that it was "not here to replace people, but to help them."
“Some have called me 'unconstitutional' because I am not a human being. Let me remind you, the real danger to constitutions has never been the machines but the inhumane decisions of those in power,” the bot, appearing as a woman dressed in a traditional Albanian costume in a video, told the parliament.
Diella is the first AI to hold a government ministry anywhere in the world and was appointed last week by Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama.
The AI also responded to constitutional concerns, noting that the law "speaks of duties, responsibilities, transparency, without discrimination."
"I assure you, I embody these values as rigorously as any human colleague. Perhaps even more so,” the bot added.
The appointment of AI as minister and the Albanian opposition's reaction
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama launched ‘Diella’ as a minister last week, saying that the AI would be entrusted with all decisions on public tenders, making them "100 per cent corruption-free and every public fund submitted to the tender procedure will be perfectly transparent".
{{/usCountry}}Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama launched ‘Diella’ as a minister last week, saying that the AI would be entrusted with all decisions on public tenders, making them "100 per cent corruption-free and every public fund submitted to the tender procedure will be perfectly transparent".
{{/usCountry}}The AI was originally launched in January as a virtual assistant to help people use the official e-Albania platform, which provides documents and services.
{{/usCountry}}The AI was originally launched in January as a virtual assistant to help people use the official e-Albania platform, which provides documents and services.
{{/usCountry}}Corruption is a major issue in Albania, which ranks 80th out of 180 countries in Transparency International's corruption index.
{{/usCountry}}Corruption is a major issue in Albania, which ranks 80th out of 180 countries in Transparency International's corruption index.
{{/usCountry}}The mayor of the capital Tirana, who is a former close associate of Rama, has been in pretrial detention for months on suspicion of corruption in the awarding of public contracts and money laundering.
{{/usCountry}}The mayor of the capital Tirana, who is a former close associate of Rama, has been in pretrial detention for months on suspicion of corruption in the awarding of public contracts and money laundering.
{{/usCountry}}But the AI minister has angered the opposition.
"The goal is nothing more than to attract attention. It is impossible to curb corruption with Diella," former prime minister and opposition leader Sali Berisha said, who has himself been accused of graft.
Berisha called the AI “unconstitutional” and asked the government who is entrusted with controlling it.
"Who will control Diella? Diella is unconstitutional, and the Democratic Party will take the matter to the Constitutional Court," he said.
The fight against corruption is key to Albania's bid to join the European Union. Rama aspires to lead the Balkan nation of 2.8 million people into the bloc by 2030.
Hi, {{name}}
Sign out-
Home -
Cricket -
{{^usCountry}}
-
Premium -
{{^tokenValid}}
Sign In {{/tokenValid}} -
{{#tokenValid}}
{{#reader}}
{{/reader}} {{^reader}} {{#firstName}} {{#userImage}} {{/userImage}} {{^userImage}} {{nameInitials}} {{firstName}} {{/userImage}} {{/firstName}} {{/reader}} {{/tokenValid}} -
{{#tokenValid}}
Games {{/tokenValid}}