Copyright republicworld
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come a long way from where it all began. From the humble beginnings of automatons - mechanical creations that moved without human intervention- to today’s modern AI systems capable of writing essays, performing surgeries, and making complex decisions. But who could have imagined that an AI could one day oversee public procurement, make political decisions, and even take part in fighting corruption for a country of over two million people? Welcome to Albania - a country that seems to have taken its faith in AI to the next level.Her name is Diella, meaning “sunshine” in Albanian, and she has been introduced as the world’s first Artificial Intelligence minister, tasked with supervising public procurement in the country. But if you thought that’s where the story ends, think again. In a shocking-surprising-absurd announcement, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, speaking at the Global Dialogue event in Berlin, revealed that his AI minister Diella is now “pregnant” with 83 digital babies - one for each Socialist Party member of parliament.“We took quite a risk today with Diella here, and we did very well. So for the first time, Diella is pregnant and with 83 children,” Rama said, drawing laughter and confusion from the listeners and readers.While the statement raised eyebrows around the world, it was, of course, a metaphor. The 83 “digital children” actually represent AI-powered digital assistants that will soon be assigned to Albania’s 83 Socialist MPs. These assistants are being trained to brief lawmakers, summarise parliamentary sessions, and suggest counterarguments in real time, marking Albania’s next leap toward integrating AI directly into political work.Diella’s appointment as the world’s first AI minister is a bold experiment by the Albanian government, which believes that this move will enhance transparency, improve efficiency, and reduce corruption in the country’s procurement systems.However, not everyone is impressed. Critics and opposition members have labelled the initiative as “techno-theatrics,” arguing that the government is using flashy technology to distract from deeper political issues.Read More: OpenAI is Considering Building a Humanoid Robot: Report
