For the first time, a nation has given political power to an algorithm.
Diella, who is powered by artificial intelligence, will handle public procurement.
Oct.14.– This is not a joke. Albania just appointed the world’s first government minister fully generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Her name is Diella, which is Albanian for sun, and she has been officially appointed as Minister of State for AI with the task of overseeing public procurement, one of the country’s most corruption-plagued systems.
Diella is a digital avatar designed to interface between the public and the algorithms beneath her virtual skin. She appears wearing modest, traditional Albanian clothing and a headscarf. She moves her hands in natural-looking, human-like gestures. She speaks with a steady, reassuring tone in perfect Albanian. Sometimes her left eye doesn’t quite blink at the same time as her right eye—that’s the kind of glitch that is typical in AI-generated videos—but otherwise, she looks and sounds like a pleasant, middle-aged woman on a screen.
Diella addressed the Parliament of Albania for the first time in her ministerial role on Sept. 18 with a three-minute speech prepared to counter expected critics.
“The constitution speaks of institutions at the people’s service,“ the avatar said. ”It doesn’t speak of chromosomes, of flesh or blood. It speaks of duties, accountability, transparency, non-discriminatory service."
“I assure you that I embody such values as strictly as every human colleague, maybe even more. I am not here to replace people, but to help them.”
The chamber erupted in fury. Opposition members of parliament banged on their desks ...
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