AKSHI / Wikipedia; cetin34 / Depositphotos
Diella, the IA Minister of Albania
Actress Anila Bisha accuses the government of using her image for the minister and transforming her into a political symbol without her consent.
An Albanian actress filed a lawsuit against the governmentdemanding that he stop using his face and voice for what authorities described as a .
Anila Bishaa well-known film and theater actress in Albania, claims that she never agreed to the use of her image for the virtual figure called Diella, presented last year by Prime Minister Edi Rama. This week, Bisha filed a formal request with an administrative court seeking an immediate halt to what she calls unauthorized use of your personal data.
“This is the first legal measure to prevent abuse of Anila’s image“, said his lawyer, Aranit Roshi. The Albanian government has not yet publicly commented on the complaint.
Diella was introduced to great fanfare in 2024 as part of a government initiative aimed at ensuring that public tender processes are conducted in a completely transparent and corruption-free manner. The AI-generated figure, often shown wear traditional Albanian costumesinteracts with authorities and is known for her incisive and rehearsed responses during public appearances.
Although Bisha acknowledged having signed a contract that allowed the use of her image and voice for the government’s e-Albania digital services platform, stated that he was never told that his image would be used to create a ministerial-level virtual figure.
“I was surprised when I heard the prime minister declare this,” Bisha said in an interview with . “I asked How could this happen without my knowledgewithout anyone asking me whether or not I wanted my image to be used.”
Bisha argues that the use of his image in the context of a government “minister” transforms your identity into a political symbol without your consent. After several failed attempts to contact authorities to discuss the matter, he chose to seek legal action.
His legal team has requested an injunction to immediately suspend the use of his image and also wants to file a separate lawsuit to demand compensation.
For Bisha, the issue is both personal and legal. “Nobody can take away someone’s identity and do whatever they want with it,” she said, framing the case as a broader test of individual rights in the age of AI.
