An Albanian film and theatre actor has taken the government to court, alleging that her face and voice were used without permission to create a virtual cabinet member promoted as an anti-corruption tool, Reuters reported.

The dispute centres on “Diella”, meaning “sun” in Albanian, an artificial intelligence (AI) avatar unveiled by Prime Minister Edi Rama when he began his fourth term last September. The digital figure was presented as an “AI minister” tasked with overseeing public procurement in a bid to improve transparency.

Anila Bisha, whose likeness appears in the avatar, says she never agreed to become a virtual political figure and that the use of her image has caused her distress and public harassment.

“At first I thought it was a joke,” Bisha told Reuters. “Now people call me Diella and they consider me as just another minister of the government.”

Bisha said she had previously allowed her image and voice to be used to build an AI-powered virtual assistant for a government website that helps citizens and companies obtain documents, but not for a role that associates her directly with the cabinet.

The government has rejected the claims, saying it did not misuse her likeness. In a statement to Reuters, its press office described the lawsuit as unfounded but said it was ready to defend its position in court.

Diella’s image appears prominently on the government’s website, alongside photos of Prime Minister Edi Rama and Balluku, reinforcing the impression that the avatar is part of the ruling team.

The introduction of the "minister" to parliament sparked controversy, with opposition MPs banging their fists on desks and shouting over the prime minister, forcing the speaker to suspend the debate. 

A court is expected to decide on February 16 whether to order the government to stop using Bisha’s likeness.