Albania's Constitutional Court upholds virtual AI minister appointment

The Constitutional Court of Albania has rejected a legal challenge brought by 39 opposition deputies from the Democratic Party regarding the appointment of a virtual Artificial Intelligence Minister named ‘Diella’. The opposition sought to annul presidential decrees related to the appointment of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, arguing that the inclusion of an AI entity in the government structure was unconstitutional.

In its ruling, the Court stated it lacked the competence to rule on the status of ‘Diella’ because the entity is not recognized as a specific constitutional official or a formal institution within the Council of Ministers. The Court noted that despite the terminology used in the decrees, the AI does not constitute a concrete constitutional official. The decision leaves the presidential decrees in force, maintaining the Prime Minister's authority to oversee the functioning of the virtual AI minister.