Albania’s Minister of State for Digital Intelligence, the world’s first virtual official, could soon be faceless as the actor she was modeled on is taking the government to court.

In August 2025, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama made headlines by floating the idea of an AI minister or prime minister. A month later, he announced Diella, an AI-powered official tasked with fighting corruption in public procurement.

Diella had already been familiar to Albanians as a chatbot on the e-Albania government services portal. The avatar was built using the face and voice of actor Anila Bisha under a contract that expired on Dec. 31, 2025. The avatar’s promotion to minister in September last year saw her image brought to life in a parliamentary address beamed across the world.

But Bisha has now reportedly sued the Council of Ministers, the prime minister, a private company involved in the project and the National Agency of Information Society (AKSHI). She claims the government continued using her likeness beyond the agreed timeframe and scope — which was limited to the e-Albania platform.

In court documents published by multiple local media outlets, Bisha seeks an injunction to immediately halt the use of her image pending the case’s outcome. She alleges significant and irreversible harm from the unauthorized use of her likeness.

Bisha previously explained during a TV interview last September that she had recorded extensive video and audio material for the e-Albania chatbot, for a limited period and nominal payment, with no permission granted for other uses.

Albanian government spokesperson, Manjola Hasa, told POLITICO: “Albania is a free democratic country where, as in every other country with no censorship, people are free to think and act through legal pathways against the government. In our view, this lawsuit is nonsense, but we welcome the opportunity to solve it once and for all in a court of law.”

Bisha did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.