PRISTINA, Kosovo — Albania introduced what it called the world's first artificial intelligence minister last year. Turns out she wasn't entirely artificial — at least not her face and voice. Albanian actor Anila Bisha says those belong to her — and she never imagined the government would use her image so prominently.
Now Bisha, a popular film and theater actor in Albania, is demanding her face and voice be stripped from the so-called virtual minister named Diella.
Citing a violation of her personal data, Bisha filed a formal request through an administrative court in Albania this week demanding the government immediately stop using her voice and image for Diella.
''This is the first legal move to prevent the abuse of Anila's image,'' her lawyer Aranit Roshi said.
The Albanian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Albania drew global attention last year when Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the creation of what he described as the world's first artificial intelligence minister, aimed at ensuring that all public procurement tenders are handled 100% corruption-free.
Diella is usually depicted in traditional Albanian national dress and is known for her punchy comebacks when prompted by government officials.
Bisha acknowledged she had signed a contract agreeing that her voice and image can be used for the government's online platform e-Albania, which provides a wide range of public services in the country. But she said she was never told of any plans to use them for an AI minister.
