Key Points
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Albania’s AI minister stresses technology will not replace people.
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Opposition warns of weak safeguards and data protection gaps.
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Government seeks EU alignment through innovation and trust-building.
The first artificial intelligence minister of Albania has tried to calm people’s fears that her new job could take jobs away from people. She said that technology should make people’s lives better, not worse. Edona Bilali said in Tirana this week, “I’m not here to replace people.” She stressed that her job is to use AI to make government, education, and public services more modern.
Bilali was named Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Business Climate in 2021. Recently, Prime Minister Edi Rama gave her more responsibility for artificial intelligence. She said that her office is focusing on innovation that creates jobs instead of destroying them. Albania is moving forward with EU-backed digital reforms before its talks to join the EU, which is why the post was created.
The AI minister of Albania is all about new ideas
Bilali says that some of the first projects will use AI-powered platforms to make government work more smoothly, fight corruption, and add more digital healthcare tools. She said that there are pilot programs going on to digitize civil records and set up predictive traffic management systems in Tirana.
Bilali said, “Our goal is for every Albanian to be able to use technology in their daily lives.” “AI will always work with human oversight, not instead of it.” Her comments are similar to what EU digital policy chief Margrethe Vestager said recently. She has told member states and candidates to make sure that innovation is linked to accountability.
Concerns from natives about the AI minister’s job
Not everyone is sure. Enkelejd Alibeaj of the Democratic Party leads the opposition lawmakers who say the government hasn’t explained how the ministry will protect against data misuse and the social effects of automation. Alibeaj said in parliament, “We can’t bring debates from Silicon Valley to Albania without changing them to fit our economy.”
Groups in civil society have also expressed worry. The Albanian Institute of Science, a non-governmental organization that works for open government, said that the government doesn’t have strong data protection systems in place. Aranita Brahaj, the director, said that the government should first “prove it can secure citizens’ information” before launching big AI programs.
Making people trust Albania’s AI minister
According to a report by Vanguard news, Prime Minister Rama has defended the creation of the post, saying it was a “forward-looking decision” to keep Albania in line with Europe’s digital future. He said that recent EU promises of money for regional digitalization showed that Tirana can’t afford to fall behind.
Balkan technology experts say that Bilali’s success will depend on getting people to trust him. Arben Malaj, a former finance minister and professor, said that the ministry needs to show that its policies “are about improving livelihoods, not replacing people.”
Bilali gets the message: the AI minister of Albania is not meant to replace people, but to prepare them for a future where technology works with human potential.
