Albania’s AI Moment – Analysis in Exit.al

Albania’s decision to appoint Diella, an AI-driven virtual assistant, as a symbolic “AI Minister” drew international attention and raised a question that goes beyond Albania: can an algorithm hold public office, and if so, who bears responsibility for its decisions?

This piece, published in Exit.al, looks at Albania’s digital momentum — from the e-Albania portal to Diella — alongside the broader challenge facing governments everywhere: how to govern AI before it governs them. Drawing on my experience in mediation and negotiation, I argue that the technology’s promise is real but so is the risk of digital progress outpacing democratic accountability. Albania needs an independent, multidisciplinary body to evaluate AI deployments before they become political crises.