Whenever new technology emerges, it stirs a familiar mix of emotions: excitement for what could be gained and fear of what might be lost. From the first stone tools to the printing press, the steam engine to the internet, every breakthrough has sparked both wonder and worry. Now, in 2025, history repeats itself with the appointment of Diella, the world’s first AI minister in Albania. Her arrival is not just a technological milestone, but a leadership experiment that forces us to ask: what role should artificial intelligence play in governing human society?
What We Know About Albania’s AI Minister, Diella
Diella (whose name means “sun” in Albanian) was first introduced earlier in 2025 as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform (the government’s digital services portal) to help citizens access state services, issue documents, and navigate bureaucratic processes.
On 11 September 2025, Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that Diella would be formally appointed to a cabinet-level position as Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, with responsibility for overseeing public procurement and government tenders. Rama’s stated aim: to eliminate human bias, favouritism, and corrupt practices from the awarding of public contracts. He described this as a step toward a “100 % corruption-free” procurement system.
Yet the government has not publicly disclosed comprehensive details about human oversight, audit mechanisms, or appeal processes to guard against misuse or error.
In her first public address to parliament, Diella asserted:
“I’m not here to replace people, but to help them.”
The move has provoked strong reactions. Critics argue the constitution does not contemplate a non-human minister, and raise questions about accountability, legitimacy, and transparency.
AI in Government Procurement
Public procurement is notoriously vulnerable to corruption in many countries, and Albania is no exception. Governments award billions through contracts, and those processes are often opaque, discretionary, and subject to influence. By delegating procurement oversight to an AI minister, Rama hopes to reduce human discretion, diminish favouritism, and introduce consistent, data-driven criteria. The theory: AI decisions, rooted in precise rules and data, will be immune to bribes, threats, or nepotism.
As the Global Government Forum puts it: “Diella … is expected to ensure transparency and integrity in government contracts.”
The Questions Leaders Must Ask
With Diella’s appointment comes urgent leadership questions, not just for Albania but for any organisation or state wrestling with AI in decision-making.
- Accountability: When an AI system makes a flawed decision, who is responsible? Can citizens challenge it?
- Legitimacy: Can people trust a minister who has no human experience, no citizenship, and no moral intuition?
- Trust: Does governance become efficient but soulless if decisions are reduced to algorithms?
- Oversight & Resilience: How do you guard against manipulation, bias in data, or adversarial attacks?
- Role Clarity: What decisions should remain exclusively human, and which can be delegated?
But beyond the headlines, the deeper question remains: what does this mean for human leaders watching AI take a seat at the table?
A Turning Point for Leadership
What makes Diella’s appointment so striking is not the technology itself but the symbolism. For centuries, leadership has been associated with human qualities: judgment, vision, empathy, and the ability to inspire trust. Now, Albania has put forward the idea that a machine can assume some of these responsibilities. Even if Diella’s function is narrowly defined to procurement, her appointment carries a message: AI is no longer confined to the sidelines of governance and it is now stepping onto the main stage.
For leaders in business, education, and government, this moment is a wake-up call. AI is not just a tool for efficiency; it is becoming a co-participant in leadership. This forces us to think carefully about where the line should be drawn between what machines can do and what only humans should do. Efficiency and impartiality are vital, but so too are values, context, and the human capacity for empathy.
History shows that every technological revolution tests the boundaries of leadership. The printing press decentralised knowledge, the steam engine redefined industry, and the internet reshaped communication. Each breakthrough created winners and losers depending on how leaders adapted. With Diella, we see the first flicker of what leadership might look like when AI is given authority, not just support roles.
Preparing for What Comes Next
The question is no longer theoretical. Diella exists. She is making decisions that affect billions in contracts, jobs, and livelihoods. Whether Albania’s experiment succeeds or fails, it sets a precedent. Other governments will be watching closely. So will boardrooms, universities, and institutions worldwide.
Leaders today must begin asking themselves:
- What tasks can be safely delegated to AI without undermining accountability?
- How do we preserve trust when decisions are no longer entirely human?
- What unique value must humans continue to bring to leadership in an AI-driven age?
These questions extend far beyond Albania. They cut to the heart of what leadership will mean in the 21st century.
Looking Ahead: Part 2
This series is only beginning. In Part 2, we’ll focus on AI in Power: What Diella Reveals About Technology, Security, and Decision-Making, we will move beyond symbolism to examine the technical realities. How capable is AI when entrusted with roles of authority? What vulnerabilities could arise from bias, manipulation, or cyberattacks? And what legal and ethical safeguards are necessary to keep such systems accountable?
