Ep13 - AI Takeover: The First AI Minister of the World
A quick note before we start. While we were preparing this episode, we came across a long article about Diella. It was well-written. Too well-written, in fact. We analyzed the style, the structure, the tone, and... we realized it was probably generated by an LLM. The irony of it all is that we're about to talk about an artificial minister, and to do so, we're using a text written by an AI to analyze the phenomenon. So, who signs the episode? Who is responsible? Is this still journalism? Maybe not. Maybe it's something new. And maybe... we just have to stop pretending we can stop it. Okay, let's begin.
The End of Human Work?
In a previous episode, we discussed the profound influence that AI and automation will have on the world of work. If you haven't listened to it yet, we highly recommend you do. Our thesis is that in the coming years, no job will be safe. We're living through a unique historical period that could mark the end of human labor as we know it. Despite this transition already happening in silence, touching professions once thought untouchable—like the IT sector—many people remain skeptical. That's why we decided to present a real, emblematic case that we believe will spark a lot of debate: Diella, the first politician in history to be impersonated by an artificial intelligence.
Diella, which means 'Sun' in Albanian, is an AI developed by the National Information Society Agency of Albania (AKSHI). In September 2025, following a presidential decree, Diella was officially appointed 'Minister of Public Procurement' in the Rama government. It's the first AI system in the world to hold a cabinet-level government role.
Not Science Fiction, but Reality
This isn't some vague futuristic project; it's a real fact. Diella was created to provide support for citizens. It's represented by an animated avatar in traditional Albanian clothing and can issue digitally stamped documents. As of September 2025, it has already processed tens of thousands of documents and services. The Albanian actress Anila Bisha provided the avatar's appearance and voice.
The big turning point came when Prime Minister Rama stated that public procurement responsibilities would be gradually transferred to Diella to reduce political influence. The appointment is part of a broader anti-corruption program aimed at aligning Albania with EU accession requirements. Rama was very clear, saying Diella would help ensure that 'public procurement is 100% free of corruption.'
Albania has become the first country to have an AI minister—not a minister for AI, but a virtual minister made of pixels and code, powered by artificial intelligence. The project officially uses Microsoft Azure infrastructure and Azure OpenAI technologies, although specific technical details, such as the exact models or training data, haven't been made public. This lack of transparency is a crucial point we'll analyze later, as it's fundamental to accountability and verifiability...