Aiming to Eradicate Corruption with AI
Will Albania Succeed in Joining the EU by 2030?
On the 12th (local time), the AI character Diela was appointed as the Minister of Public Procurement of Albania. This marks the first time an AI has been appointed as a national cabinet minister. Official website of the Albanian government
The Albanian government's recent appointment of an artificial intelligence (AI) character as a cabinet minister is reportedly primarily aimed at joining the European Union (EU). The plan is to eradicate corruption within the government-particularly bribery-by appointing an AI minister who is free from such influences, thereby ensuring Albania's EU accession, which has been stalled for 16 years. Both within and outside Albania, there is a consensus that quickly achieving the elimination of corruption, a key requirement for EU membership, will give Albania a competitive edge over other EU candidate countries. However, there is growing controversy over the eligibility of an AI minister, with the opposition parties in Albania arguing that appointing an AI as a minister is unconstitutional.
Corruption: The Main Reason for Albania’s EU Accession Failure... Can AI Solve It?
On the 12th (local time), the Albanian Information Promotion Agency is operating the artificial intelligence (AI) character Diela, who was appointed as the Minister of Public Procurement. Photo by AP Yonhap News
According to CNN, the Albanian government intends to meet EU accession requirements by reducing corruption in government procurement through Diela, the AI character appointed as Minister of Public Procurement on the 12th (local time). The Albanian government and the EU are set to begin intergovernmental negotiations for EU accession from September 16 to October 2, discussing a total of 28 agenda items, including the reduction of corruption, green policies, and energy.
Corruption has long been cited as the primary factor restricting Albania’s EU accession. Although Albania applied for EU membership in 2009, it has failed to join for 16 years due to its inability to meet anti-corruption requirements. The EU consistently demands the eradication of corruption and the establishment of the rule of law as core conditions for membership from all applicant countries. Currently, nine countries-including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, T?rkiye, and Ukraine-remain on the waiting list, having yet to fulfill these requirements.
The ruling Socialist Party of Albania pledged in the general election last May to secure EU membership by 2030 and won a landslide victory with overwhelming public support. To fulfill this commitment, the Socialist Party has made eradicating corruption its top priority and has proposed various alternatives, including the appointment of an AI minister.
Nevertheless, Albania still has a long way to go to eliminate corruption. According to last year’s Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International, Albania ranked 80th out of 180 countries, a slight improvement from 98th the previous year. However, with a score of 42 out of 100, it still falls short of the global average of 43. Western European countries within the EU typically score between 60 and 70. This index, based on expert assessments of national integrity, indicates that higher scores reflect greater integrity, while lower scores suggest more severe corruption.
Experts generally agree that appointing an AI minister is likely to help combat corruption. In an interview with the BBC, Dr. Andi Hoxhaj, an anti-corruption and rule of law expert at King's College London, stated, "Albania’s appointment of an AI minister signals a strong motivation to tackle corruption as part of EU negotiations, especially as the EU has encouraged completion of accession talks by 2027. Since eliminating corruption is a major prerequisite for EU membership, it is worth trying if AI can be used as a tool to achieve that goal."
Albanian Opposition Pushes Back: “Appointment of AI Minister Is Unconstitutional”
Prime Minister Edi Rama of Albania appointing the artificial intelligence (AI) character Diela as the Minister of Public Procurement. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
Opposition parties in Albania are raising objections, arguing that the appointment of an AI minister is unconstitutional.
According to the Associated Press, Gazment Bardhi, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Albania, strongly criticized the move on his Facebook account, stating, "I believe granting ministerial status to AI is unconstitutional," and adding, "The prime minister’s clownish antics must not turn into criminal acts." In fact, the Albanian constitution stipulates that a minister must be "an Albanian citizen over the age of 18 with mental capacity."
To allow the AI minister to be officially approved by parliament and perform formal duties, a constitutional amendment would be required. However, given the current composition of the Albanian parliament, it is difficult for the ruling Socialist Party to amend the constitution on its own. The Socialist Party holds a majority with 83 out of 140 seats following its victory in the May general election, but 93 seats-a two-thirds majority-are needed for a constitutional amendment. The remaining seats are held by the opposition Democratic Party (50 seats) and other minor parties (7 seats).
Even if the Socialist Party successfully forms alliances with minor parties, it cannot reach the required quorum for a constitutional amendment without defections from the Democratic Party. The Associated Press, citing local legal experts, pointed out, "In reality, it may take more political maneuvering for AI to be officially established as a cabinet minister."
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