In Tirana, Albania, veteran actress Anila Bisha, celebrated for her nuanced portrayals of complex female characters over a distinguished 30-year career, now finds herself grappling with an unprecedented challenge. Her digital likeness has been thrust into the spotlight in a way she never anticipated, as an artificial intelligence avatar modeled after her face and voice has been controversially appointed to a government position she never agreed to. This unexpected development has not only overshadowed her artistic legacy but also sparked a heated debate about ethics, consent, and the future role of AI in politics.
The saga began last September when Prime Minister Edi Rama made headlines by unveiling what he described as the world’s first AI-generated government minister. This digital creation, designed to combat corruption in public procurement processes, was presented as a groundbreaking innovation aimed at increasing transparency and efficiency. The AI minister, named “Diella”—meaning “Sun” in Albanian—was modeled closely on Bisha’s image, dressed in traditional Albanian attire, and even delivered a speech in parliament. In a video message, the avatar assured the public that it was intended to assist rather than replace human officials, a statement that quickly attracted global media attention.
However, for Anila Bisha, the experience was deeply unsettling. Watching a virtual version of herself speak in a parliamentary setting about policies she had no part in crafting left her shocked and distressed. At 57, the actress expressed how seeing and hearing her own face and voice used without her knowledge or approval felt like a violation of her identity. She recalled the emotional turmoil she endured, stating that the incident brought her to tears and left her in a state of disbelief.
It is important to understand the background of Bisha’s initial involvement with the AI project. In early 2025, she had consented to lend her face and voice to a virtual assistant designed for an online government services portal. This platform aimed to simplify bureaucratic procedures for citizens by providing a user-friendly interface. The process of creating the AI avatar was demanding; Bisha spent long hours recording countless facial movements and vocal sounds to ensure the digital assistant could interact naturally and responsively. Over time, the AI assistant, Diella, became a widely used tool, handling nearly a million interactions and issuing over 36,000 official documents. Both the government and users praised the platform’s success, and Bisha herself received numerous compliments for her contribution.
Despite this positive start, the situation took a dramatic turn when Prime Minister Rama elevated the chatbot to the role of minister of public procurement. This move was announced with little transparency and sparked immediate backlash from opposition parties and legal experts, who questioned the constitutional validity and accountability of appointing an AI to such a critical government position. Corruption remains a significant challenge in Albania, and many viewed the appointment as a symbolic gesture rather than a substantive reform.
Throughout this period, Bisha found herself excluded from any discussions or decisions regarding the expanded use of her digital likeness. She revealed that her original contract, which permitted the use of her image solely for the e-services platform, had expired in December of the previous year. Despite her repeated attempts to communicate with government officials to clarify and resolve the matter, her concerns were largely ignored. Meanwhile, Rama continued to promote Diella, even making provocative statements at international forums, such as claiming the AI minister was “pregnant” and would soon “give birth” to 83 new AI avatars, one representing each member of parliament. This rhetoric further intensified Bisha’s distress, as she felt unfairly targeted by political opponents who conflated their opposition to the prime minister with personal attacks on her.
The controversy surrounding Diella has unfolded against a backdrop of ongoing corruption scandals within the Albanian government. Since December, the head of the department overseeing the AI project has been placed under house arrest on allegations of manipulating government tenders illegally. Additionally, the prime minister’s deputy is embroiled in a separate corruption case, casting further doubt on the government’s commitment to transparency. In this climate, Bisha has abandoned hopes for an amicable resolution and initiated legal proceedings to protect her image rights. Earlier this month, she sought a court injunction to halt the use of her likeness, but the administrative court rejected this preliminary request. Nevertheless, her legal team plans to file a comprehensive lawsuit demanding one million euros in damages for unauthorized use of her image.
The government has dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous but expressed willingness to settle the dispute through the judicial system. Meanwhile, Bisha remains resolute in her determination to reclaim control over her identity, even if it means escalating the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. She voiced her fears about the potential misuse of her voice and image in the future, underscoring the broader ethical dilemmas posed by AI technologies. Although she remains skeptical that artificial intelligence can ever replicate the depth of human emotion that actors bring to their craft, the experience has left her apprehensive about the rapid pace of AI development and its implications for personal rights and artistic expression.
