Albania’s AI Minister: A Political Spectacle or Tech Milestone?
In a move that might sound like something out of science fiction, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama recently declared that the country’s AI-powered “minister” named Diella is “pregnant” — not in the biological sense, but with 83 digital children. The announcement, made during the Global Dialogue event in Berlin, caught global attention for its audacity, symbolism, and the deeper questions it raises about the intersection of governance and artificial intelligence.
This article explores what this means, how Diella came to be, reactions to the announcement, and what it might suggest for the future of AI in government.
What Is Diella? From Virtual Assistant to Cabinet Member
Before diving into the “pregnancy” claim, it helps to understand who — or what — Diella is and how she arrived on Albania’s political stage.
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Origins as an e-government tool
Diella began life as a virtual assistant integrated into the Albanian government’s e-Albania platform. Citizens and businesses using online public services could ask questions, request documents, or navigate state procedures via Diella’s interface. Over time, her usage reportedly exceeded one million digital interactions. -
Formal appointment to ministerial status
In September 2025, Prime Minister Rama went a step further: Diella was appointed as the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, making her arguably the world’s first AI entity to hold a cabinet-level role.
Her formal purpose: to oversee public procurement, inject transparency, and reduce human discretion (and thus corruption) in high-stakes government tendering. -
Avatar, symbolism, and identity
While Diella is fully digital, she is represented in visual form—an avatar in traditional Albanian dress. The name “Diella” is a feminine form of “Sun” in Albanian, carrying national and symbolic resonance.
Her voice and likeness, reportedly, were modeled on an actor under agreement with state agencies.
In short: Diella is not a human minister but a highly sophisticated AI system entrusted with real, high-stakes governmental duties.
The “Pregnant With 83 Children” Declaration
On the surface, the statement that Diella is “pregnant with 83 children” sounds whimsical or metaphorical. But Rama intended it quite literally in its digital metaphor: each “child” represents an AI assistant that will be delegated to individual members of the Socialist Party’s parliamentary majority. Why 83 children?
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Following the May 2025 parliamentary elections, Rama’s Socialist Party secured 83 seats in the Albanian Assembly.
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The idea: each of those 83 MPs will receive a digital assistant (a “child” of Diella) to support them in legislative duties, track debates, log sessions they miss, suggest responses, and generally bring Diella’s “knowledge” closer to parliamentary operations.
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Rama illustrated scenarios: if an MP steps out for coffee, the assistant can brief them on what they missed; remind them who used their name in the chamber; even suggest rebuttals.
Interpreting the metaphor
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The “pregnancy” is purely symbolic — it reflects the idea of creation, extension, and propagation of AI influence across legislative bodies.
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But it is more than marketing rhetoric: the “children” are real software agents planned for rollout.
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The goal is ambitious: to embed the AI system not just at the center of procurement but within everyday parliamentary workflows.
Rama framed the move as part of Albania’s bold modernization program. These “offspring” will spread the wisdom and programming of their “mother,” Diella, throughout various areas of the legislative system.