Albania’s AI Expansion Raises Concerns Over Oversight and Data Control

Albania’s rapid adoption of artificial intelligence in public administration (inteligjenca artificiale në administratën publike) has drawn attention due to the introduction of a virtual government figure known as Diella. This system, integrated into the national e-Albania platform, represents a significant step in digital governance transformation (transformim i qeverisjes digjitale). Within just eight months of operation, the system recorded 972,000 public interactions and processed 36,000 official documents, indicating a high level of automated service efficiency (efikasitet i shërbimeve të automatizuara).

Authorities expanded the system’s role by assigning it responsibilities in public procurement, a sector historically affected by corruption risks. The initiative aims to improve public service accessibility (aksesueshmëri e shërbimeve publike) and streamline administrative procedures through advanced technologies. Officials have presented the project as a step toward digital independence strategy (strategji e pavarësisë digjitale), asserting that automation could significantly reduce corruption in state processes.

Despite these claims, Diella is not a human official but a virtual AI-generated avatar (avatar virtual i gjeneruar nga IA), designed to simulate interaction while supporting administrative tasks. Government statements clarify that the system does not make independent decisions, and that administrative accountability responsibility (përgjegjësi administrative për vendimmarrje) remains with human authorities. However, this distinction has not resolved concerns about how decisions influenced by algorithmic systems are ultimately controlled.

The infrastructure behind the system introduces additional complexities. Data processing and AI operations are conducted through cloud computing environments (mjedise kompjuterike në re) managed by Microsoft Azure. While this platform offers benefits such as encryption, continuous monitoring, and cybersecurity resilience, it also creates foreign infrastructure dependency (varësi nga infrastruktura e huaj). Experts warn that reliance on external platforms may reduce national control over sensitive state data and increase exposure to cross-border risks.

Cybersecurity trends in Albania further intensify these concerns. Official records show a rise in cyber incident frequency (frekuencë e incidenteve kibernetike), increasing from 16 cases in 2019 to 46 incidents in the most recent year reported. The sectors most affected include energy, transport, and digital systems, all of which are deeply interconnected. This trend highlights the growing importance of data protection risk management (menaxhim i rrezikut të mbrojtjes së të dhënave) in systems that process large volumes of personal information.

A significant issue identified by analysts is the lack of transparency regarding how these systems operate. Authorities have limited disclosure about algorithmic decision frameworks (kuadër vendimmarrjeje algoritmike) and system architecture, citing national security concerns. This creates a contradiction where AI is promoted as a tool for openness while the underlying mechanisms remain opaque, raising concerns about institutional transparency gaps (mungesa transparence institucionale).

Parallel to the development of Diella, Albania has expanded a nationwide surveillance system under the “Smart City” initiative. This project involves the installation of thousands of devices, including cameras designed for urban monitoring systems (sisteme monitorimi urban) and traffic management. Official plans include over 2,000 license plate recognition cameras and more than 2,600 advanced monitoring devices, indicating a large-scale surveillance infrastructure expansion (zgjerim i infrastrukturës së mbikëqyrjes).

The Smart City initiative has been promoted as a tool to improve public safety and crime prevention. However, critics point to a lack of information regarding biometric data usage (përdorim i të dhënave biometrike) and the specific technologies deployed. Questions remain unanswered about whether facial recognition or behavioural analysis systems are in use, reflecting concerns about privacy rights protection (mbrojtja e të drejtave të privatësisë).

Legal and procedural issues further complicate the situation. The project was implemented without publicly available data protection impact assessments, raising doubts about compliance with both national and European standards. Although authorities claim alignment with the EU’s GDPR framework, there is no published documentation confirming regulatory compliance verification (verifikim i përputhshmërisë rregullatore). The absence of consultation processes also indicates limited public participation mechanisms (mekanizma pjesëmarrjeje publike) in decisions affecting nationwide surveillance.

The procurement structure of the Smart City project adds another layer of complexity. Agreements with foreign partners were made under special legal provisions that bypass standard procedures, enabling implementation without full public scrutiny. This approach has raised concerns about contractual transparency limitations (kufizime të transparencës kontraktuale) and long-term governance of the system.

Uncertainty also surrounds operational control. While institutions provide conflicting statements, it remains unclear who manages the surveillance network and how data is processed. This lack of clarity suggests a disconnect between official narratives and operational reality, highlighting issues of institutional coordination failure (dështim i koordinimit institucional). Experts note that advanced “smart cameras” often integrate AI capabilities, including real-time analysis, which goes beyond traditional surveillance tools.

Albania’s current approach reflects broader regional patterns. Similar systems have been introduced in other Western Balkan countries, where digital surveillance deployment (vendosje e mbikëqyrjes digjitale) often precedes clear legal frameworks. The experience of neighbouring states demonstrates that once such systems are normalized, reversing or regulating them becomes significantly more difficult.

The legal framework governing AI in Albania remains incomplete. Although a data protection law aligned with EU standards was adopted in 2024, enforcement capacity is limited, and specific regulations for artificial intelligence have not yet been implemented. Formal requirements for risk assessments will only take effect in 2027, leaving a gap in preventive regulatory safeguards (masa parandaluese rregullatore) during a critical phase of technological expansion.

Experts warn that deploying high-risk technologies without prior evaluation may lead to long-term consequences, including reduced accountability and erosion of public trust. The absence of clear oversight mechanisms creates uncertainty about responsibility in cases of misuse or failure, reinforcing concerns about governance accountability gaps (mungesa përgjegjshmërie në qeverisje).

As Albania continues its digital transformation, the balance between innovation and regulation remains unresolved. The expansion of AI-driven systems and surveillance infrastructure demonstrates significant technological ambition, but also exposes vulnerabilities in transparency, legal oversight, and institutional control. The country now faces the challenge of ensuring that technological progress aligns with democratic standards and safeguards fundamental rights.

Key Albanian Vocabulary

inteligjenca artificiale në administratën publike artificial intelligence in public administration
transformim i qeverisjes digjitale digital governance transformation
efikasitet i shërbimeve të automatizuara automated service efficiency
aksesueshmëri e shërbimeve publike public service accessibility
strategji e pavarësisë digjitale digital independence strategy
avatar virtual i gjeneruar nga IA virtual AI-generated avatar
përgjegjësi administrative për vendimmarrje administrative accountability responsibility
mjedise kompjuterike në re cloud computing environments
varësi nga infrastruktura e huaj foreign infrastructure dependency
frekuencë e incidenteve kibernetike cyber incident frequency
menaxhim i rrezikut të mbrojtjes së të dhënave data protection risk management
kuadër vendimmarrjeje algoritmike algorithmic decision frameworks
mungesa transparence institucionale institutional transparency gaps
sisteme monitorimi urban urban monitoring systems
zgjerim i infrastrukturës së mbikëqyrjes surveillance infrastructure expansion
përdorim i të dhënave biometrike biometric data usage
mbrojtja e të drejtave të privatësisë privacy rights protection
verifikim i përputhshmërisë rregullatore regulatory compliance verification
mekanizma pjesëmarrjeje publike public participation mechanisms
kufizime të transparencës kontraktuale contractual transparency limitations
dështim i koordinimit institucional institutional coordination failure
vendosje e mbikëqyrjes digjitale digital surveillance deployment
masa parandaluese rregullatore preventive regulatory safeguards
mungesa përgjegjshmërie në qeverisje governance accountability gaps

Who is Diella? Albania appointed the world's first AI minister.