World’s first AI ‘minister’ Diella

Syllabus: GS2/Governance/GS3/Science and Technology

Context

• Albania has become the first nation to appoint an AI-generated “minister” tasked with tackling corruption.

About

• Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the digital minister to his cabinet.
• The digital assistant is named ‘Diella’ meaning ‘Sun’ and has been given responsibility of taking all decisions related to the public tenders, making them 100% corruption-free. 
  • The AI minister will also have the right to assess tenders and hire talents from across the world. 
• Origins as a virtual assistant: Diella was initially introduced in January as an AI-powered digital assistant, designed to resemble a woman dressed in traditional Albanian attire.
  • It was meant to help citizens navigate the official e-Albania platform, which offers access to documents and services.
• Corruption challenges in Albania: Public tenders in Albania have historically been at the centre of corruption scandals.
  • The country has become a hub for international criminal networks laundering profits from drug and arms trafficking, with corruption reportedly reaching into senior levels of government.

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? 

• It refers to the hypothetical intelligenceof a machine that possesses the ability to understand or learn any intellectual task that a human being can.
  • It is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that aims to mimic the cognitive abilities of the human brain.
• Artificial intelligence allows machines to model, or even improve upon, the capabilities of the human mind.

How AI Can be Used in Public Service? 

• Governance and Administration: AI chatbots and NLP(Natural Language Processing) tools can be used for quick response to citizen complaints.
  • AI-based anomaly detection in tax filings, subsidies, and public procurement.
• Healthcare: AI models for early disease detection (e.g., TB, cancer screening).
  • Telemedicine: AI-powered virtual assistants for rural healthcare access.
• Education: AI-driven adaptive platforms tailoring lessons to student needs.
  • Automated Assessments: Reducing teacher workload and providing quick feedback.
• Agriculture: 
  • Precision Farming: AI-driven advisories on soil health, weather, and pest control.
  • Market Forecasting: Price prediction models for farmers.
  • Supply Chain Optimization: Minimizing post-harvest losses using AI logistics solutions.
• Law and Order: AI-based crime pattern analysis and hotspot mapping.
  • Facial Recognition & Surveillance: Identifying suspects in public safety operations.
  • Judiciary: AI-assisted case management, reducing pendency by automating routine documentation.
• Urban Governance: AI for traffic management, waste disposal, and energy efficiency.
  • Disaster Management: Early warning systems using AI in flood, cyclone, or earthquake prediction.
• Welfare Schemes & Social Sector: AI to identify genuine beneficiaries, reduce leakages in PDS, MGNREGA, etc.
  • Financial Inclusion: AI in digital banking and micro-credit risk assessments.

Concerns

• Bias & Discrimination: AI trained on data may develop biases and can discriminate against certain groups.
• Data Privacy: India lacks a comprehensive framework for sensitive citizen data despite the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
• Accountability Gap: If AI makes a wrong decision, it’s unclear who is responsible — programmer, operator, or government.
• Job Displacement: Automation may replace lower-level administrative and clerical jobs.
• Overdependence on Technology: Risk of ignoring human judgment, empathy, and contextual understanding.
• Cybersecurity Threats: AI systems vulnerable to hacking, manipulation, or adversarial attacks.
• Dependence on Foreign Tech Firms: Risk of “digital colonization” if India relies too much on external AI companies.

Government Initiatives

• India AI Mission (2024): It has a budget  of ₹10,300 crore over five years.
  • A key goal is the creation of a high-end common computing facility with 18,693 GPUs.
• India’s AI Models & Language Technologies: The government is facilitating the development of India’s own foundational models, including Large Language Models (LLMs) and problem-specific AI solutions tailored to Indian needs.
  • BharatGen: The world’s first government-funded multimodal LLM initiative, BharatGen was launched in 2024. 
  • Sarvam-1 AI Model: A large language model optimised for Indian languages, Sarvam-1 has 2 billion parameters and supports ten major Indian languages. 
  • Hanooman’s Everest 1.0: A multilingual AI system developed by SML, Everest 1.0 supports 35 Indian languages, with plans to expand to 90.
• AI Centers of Excellence: Establishing dedicated AI hubs and innovation centers across the country to support AI startups and research.
• India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Combines public funding with private sector innovation to drive digital transformation.
  • Aadhaar, UPI, and DigiLocker serve as the foundation of India’s DPI.
  • Intelligent solutions are being integrated into financial and governance platforms to enhance DPI.
• e-Courts Project: Initiated by the Supreme Court of India to modernize judicial functions through digital innovation.
  • Phase III: Integrates advanced AI solutions to improve case management and administrative efficiency in courts.

Conclusion

• India’s rapid AI advancements are driven by strong government initiatives, positioning it as a global AI powerhouse.
• A dedicated task force can be appointed to study and recommend the use of AI in public service and justice administration.
• A balanced approach must be taken to ensure AI tools respect privacy, civil liberties, and ethical standards, while preventing misuse.

Source: AIR