TIRANA, Albania — While the rest of Europe bickers over the safety and scope of artificial intelligence, Albania is tapping it to accelerate its EU accession.

It’s even mulling an AI-run ministry.

Prime Minister Edi Rama mentioned AI last month as a tool to stamp out corruption and increase transparency, saying the technology could soon become the most efficient member of the Albanian government.

“One day, we might even have a ministry run entirely by AI,” Rama said at a July press conference while discussing digitalization. “That way, there would be no nepotism or conflicts of interest,” he argued.

Local developers could even work toward creating an AI model to elect as minister, which could lead the country to “be the first to have an entire government with AI ministers and a prime minister,” Rama added.

While no formal steps have been taken and Rama’s job is not yet officially up for grabs, the prime minister said the idea should be seriously considered.

Ben Blushi, a former ruling party politician and author with a keen interest in AI, said he believes there is nothing to fear from the technology, and that AI-run states are a real possibility that could turn our concept of democracy on its head.

“Why do we have to choose between two or more human options if the service we get from the state could be done by AI?” Blushi said. “Societies will be better run by AI than by us because it won’t make mistakes, doesn’t need a salary, cannot be corrupted, and doesn’t stop working.”

Albania has long grappled with corruption in all facets of society, and politics is no exception. The ruling party has seen its fair share of officials charged with and convicted of corruption. Opposition leader Sali Berisha is currently facing a corruption trial, and former prime minister and president Ilir Meta is behind bars.

AI already in play

AI is a tool, not a miracle, according to Jorida Tabaku, a member of Albanian parliament with the opposition Democratic Party. She said that in the right hands, it can transform governance — but that in the wrong hands, it becomes “a digital disguise for the same old dysfunction.”

While she supports digital innovation and AI, Tabaku said the entire governance system needs a reset before AI could be rolled out.

AI is already being used in the administration to manage the thorny matter of public procurement, an area the EU has asked the government to shore up, as well as to analyze tax and customs transactions in real time, identifying irregularities.

The country’s territory is also being monitored by smart drones and satellite systems, which use AI to check for illegalities on construction sites and public beaches and for cannabis plantations in more rural areas.

Additionally, there are plans to use AI to combat problems on Albanian roads by using facial recognition technology to digitally issue a prompt to a driver’s mobile device to slow down, as well as to send details of speeding fines via text message or email. The country currently has one of the highest rates of fatal traffic accidents in Europe, according to the state statistics agency, mainly due to speeding.

There are also aspirations to use AI in health care, education and digital identification of citizens.