Albanian actor sues government for using her image as “AI minister”

An Albanian actor is suing the ​government for using her face ​and voice to create the avatar for an “AI minister” – a ​virtual member of the cabinet.

When Edi Rama began his fourth term as Albania’s prime minister last September, he also unveiled an AI-generated virtual minister, “Diella” – sun in Albanian – to oversee the awarding of government ‌contracts as a ⁠step ⁠to fight corruption.

Diella features the face and voice of Anila Bisha, a film and theatre actor who says she never gave consent for her likeness to be used that way, and it has led to harassment online and unwanted attention in the street.