Albania: AI appointed to government post
An artificial intelligence-powered digital assistant has been appointed to a ministerial post in Albania. By definition objective and incorruptible, Diella (Albanian for "sunshine"), was previously the avatar of a chatbot wearing traditional dress that featured on government websites, and will now join the fight against corruption as minister for public procurement. Responsibility for Diella lies with Prime Minister Edi Rama. The media are divided over the initiative.
Minus the flaws of living ministers
Tirana has good reason to resort to this radical approach to rooting out corruption, writes communication scientist Reginaldo Rodrigues de Almeida in Correio da Manhã:
“If ministers of flesh and blood aren't convincing, why not try out binary code? Diella doesn't ask for housing subsidies or a chauffeur, and, above all, she doesn't have cousins looking for a job in the civil service. ... Critics say the constitution doesn't provide for ministers who can't appear in person, but let's face it, nor did it provide for a scenario in which so many real, responsible people who hold public office would be facing criminal charges.”
Set clear limits for AI
In Eco, the lawyer Adolfo Mesquita Nunes points out the major legal problems of an AI instance:
“There is a fundamental institutional difference between the use of AI as technical support and the transfer of decision-making power without effective human mediation. ... The Diella case highlights how urgently a discussion about the institutional limits of AI in public administration is needed. Who defines the criteria? Who monitors? Who is accountable for wrong decisions? And above all: how can it be ensured that all administrative acts continue to be well-founded, verifiable and controllable? Without solid answers to these questions, the digitalisation of public decision-making runs the risk of creating not transparency, but the very opposite under the guise of neutrality.”
Underlying structures won't change
Appointing an AI minister won't do much to rein in the rampant corruption in the country, taz newspaper suspects:
“Corruption can't be combated with technology alone. AI may be able to flag suspicious tenders but it can't change the structures that keep corruption alive. What's more, it is only as trustworthy as the data fed into it. When the authorities themselves are part of the problem, the technology also becomes corrupted. The eccentric Prime Minister Edi Rama likes to portray himself as a visionary, but he doesn't take well to criticism. ... Perhaps that's why he's relying on an AI minister: she won't make independent public appearances or level accusations against him - and she can be switched off at any time.”