Actress accuses Albanian government of abusing her voice and image

Albanian actress Anila Bisha accused the Albanian government of using AI to replicate her voice and image without consent for official content, raising concerns about deepfake misuse, reputational harm, and the lack of legal safeguards protecting individuals from state-driven synthetic media abuse. What happened In September 2025, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama introduced "Diella", a virtual AI minister designed to oversee government contracts and combat corruption, positioning it as a symbolic member of the cabinet. However, the avatar used the face and voice of Anila Bisha, a well-known film and theater actress. While Bisha had previously consented to her likeness being used for a digital assistant on the e-Albania public services portal, she claims she never authorised its use for a political or ministerial persona. Why it happened The incident is rooted in scope creep and a lack of granular consent protocols, with the government appearing to have interpreted a narrow contract for a service-oriented chatbot as a broad license for any state-related AI application. Bisha was not consulted or offered a new agreement when the "assistant" was elevated to a cabinet-level role. The project was managed by the National Agency for the Information Society (AKSHI), whose leadership was coincidentally under investigation for corruption at the time, highlighting a lack of ethical oversight and clear policy guardrails regarding the use of biometric data. The government has publicly dismissed the lawsuit as unfounded, indicating limited willingness to acknowledge responsibility, and leaving it to the courts to clarify how far state institutions can go in reusing individuals’ likenesses in AI systems. What it means For Bisha, the incident means unwanted political association with the government, reputational damage in a polarized environment, and ongoing emotional distress and safety concerns tied to harassment and public misrecognition. For other performers and citizens, it signals the risk that once biometric data are captured for one “neutral” digital service, they may be reused in more controversial and highly exposed AI applications without fresh consent or clear opt-outs. At a societal level, the controversy illustrates how governments can use AI avatars as political symbols while shifting risks onto the individuals whose identities power them, blurring lines between public service tools and propaganda. System 🤖 Diella Developer: Government of Albania Country: Alban i a Sector: Purpose: Technology: G enerative AI Issue: Accountability; Autonomy; Tran sparency Timeline ⏰ Early 2025: Anila Bisha signs a contract allowing her likeness to be used for a virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform. September 11, 2025: Prime Minister Edi Rama unveils "Diella" as the country’s first AI-powered "minister" for public procurement. October 2025: Rama presents the Diella avatar at the Berlin Global Dialogue, framing it as a major anti-corruption reform. December 2025 – January 2026: Protests and corruption investigations hit the Albanian government; skepticism grows over the "AI minister" project. February 12, 2026: Anila Bisha files a lawsuit in the Tirana Administrative Court seeking EUR 1 million in damages and an immediate halt to the use of her image.

Date it happened

2025-01-01

Organisation involved

Government of Albania

Product, system or model

Diella

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