AI in politics: Is Albania the EU’s testing ground?

After 17 days of this administration, I would like to thank you and thank you with all my heart. accusations he denies. But Bëllai's use of an avatar is part of a much bigger story, the unusually close relationship between Albanian politics and artificial intelligence. This is Dëlla, an AI-powered virtual minister introduced by Prime Minister Edi Rama last year. Her job? To oversee government contracts and tenders with the promise of making one of Albania's most corruption-prone areas more transparent. Albania is getting closer to joining the EU, but still ranks down at 91 in Transparency International's Corruption Index. EU using those countries' experiments, maybe, to see what is good, what is not good, maybe if they are feeling adventurous about some AI stuff in the media and politics, and then they use it as a case study or example what they need to enforce because they cannot do it in the EU because it's already regulated. Since August, the EU's AI Act has required clear labeling of AI-generated or manipulated video, audio and images when they qualify as deepfakes. But critics say the EU's rules have not kept pace with how fast AI is evolving. Dëlla was the first AI system in the world to be named to a cabinet-level government role. But the project has not gone entirely as planned. Dëlla uses the face and voice of Albanian actor Anila Bisha. Bisha is suing the government, saying she never agreed for her likeness to be turned into a high-profile political figure. The opposition challenged Dëlla's appointment. But the Constitutional Court dismissed the case. It said AI is only a technological tool and cannot create, transfer or replace public power's responsibility or accountability. I am not here to stop people, but to help them. As Albania tries to navigate this new political reality, it is fast becoming an unexpected testing ground for AI's role in governing a nation, one the rest of Europe is watching closely.