Actor takes legal action to stop Albania’s government from using her image for ‘AI minister’

Albanian experts work at the National Agency for Information Society as an artificial intelligence "minister" Diella, whose name means "Sun" in Albanian, is seen on the screens in Tirana, Albania, Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj, File)

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 theatre 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 per cent 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.

“It was surprising when I heard the prime minister declare it. I asked how this could happen without my knowledge, without anyone asking me if I wanted my image to be used or not,” Bisha told The Associated Press on Thursday.

She said she feels her image is now used as a political statement.

It is not the first time that voices used in artificial intelligence platforms have caused a stir.

In 2024, OpenAI pulled one of its ChatGPT voices, Sky, after actor Scarlett Johansson said the voice sounded “eerily similar” to her own. OpenAI said the voice used for Sky was not that of Johansson.

Bisha said she had tried to contact the government multiple times since the AI minister became part of the Albanian cabinet last September. She said she decided to begin legal proceedings after failing to receive a response requesting a meeting to discuss the issue.

Bisha filed the temporary injunction with the administrative court demanding the government immediately cease using her image for Diella. Her representatives plan to file a formal lawsuit for damages and compensation.

“One cannot take away one’s identity and do with it whatever they want,” she said.

Zana Cimili, The Associated Press