Diera will be “a member of a cabinet that does not exist physically but effectively created,” Prime Minister Eddie Rama said in a Facebook post.
In the world's first political move, Albanian Prime Minister Eddie Rama appointed an artificial intelligence-generated “pastor” named Diera to his new cabinet, with the aim of cracking down on corruption and quickly tracking the country's digital transformation.
The Diera, which was announced on Friday – meaning “sun” in Albanian – does not retain a physical presence, but will effectively operate as a full-fledged member of the cabinet. “She is not flesh and blood, but the minister of code and ability,” Rama announced in a Facebook post.
Developed in partnership with Microsoft, the AI entity is already a virtual assistant on e-Albania, the Albania e-Governance platform, and helps over 1 million users navigate digital services. Now, her role is expanding dramatically.
According to the Albanian National Information Association, Diera leverages advanced AI models to ensure the accuracy, transparency and speed of government processes. One of her core tasks is to ensure that public bids are 100% corruption-free. This is a bold promise in a country that has long been plagued by grafts and organized crime.
Diera is visually represented as a woman in a traditional Albanian dress, combining the country's heritage with its digital future. She will also support local institutions to meet European Union standards as Albania seeks EU membership by 2030.
However, not everyone is on board. Democrat opposition leader Gazmendo Bardi called Diera's appointment unconstitutional and denounced the move. “The Prime Minister's Clown cannot be transformed into a legal act in Albania,” he said.
Legal experts and analysts say Diera's formal ministerial position remains in the grey area. President Bajram Begaj supports the formation of a new cabinet, but has stopped checking whether Diera is legally qualified as a pastor.
The Lama Socialist Party won 83 of the 140 seats in the May 11 election, securing its fourth consecutive year. Although it will not amend the constitution, Lama's digital experiments could face legal hurdles.
It has not yet been seen whether Diera will receive a formal vote in Congress. But one thing is certain: Albania has entered the unknown political realm. There is an AI on the cabinet table.
