Albania’s AI ‘minister’ makes its debut with an address to parliament
SMRTR summary
"The Constitution speaks of institutions at the people's service. It doesn't speak of chromosomes, of flesh or blood," declared Diella, Albania's new AI-generated government "minister," as she addressed parliament from two large screens on Thursday.
Dressed in traditional Albanian attire, the virtual assistant named after the Albanian word for "sun" made her parliamentary debut as part of Prime Minister Edi Rama's push for transparency and technological innovation.
Created in partnership with Microsoft, Diella assured lawmakers she embodies governmental values "as strictly as every human colleague, maybe even more." The bot currently assists citizens navigating the e-Albania public service platform.
Opposition lawmakers weren't impressed. They banged on tables during the session, which ended after just 25 minutes. While they boycotted the vote on the Cabinet's program, it passed with 82 votes in the 140-seat parliament.
The AI initiative comes as Albania aims to showcase its technological progress in its quest for European Union membership by 2030. Critics fear the program might be used to mask corruption in public finances.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to AP News.
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