Albania made global headlines last year after unveiling an AI chatbot called “Diella” which it said had joined the government as minister of state for artificial intelligence.

The chatbot is listed on Albanian government websites as a legitimate minister with an AI-generated headshot, and has even addressed the Albanian parliament.

Diella was later announced by prime minister Edi Rama to be “pregnant” with 83 children, who would serve as AI assistants for each Albanian MP.

However, the government is now facing legal proceedings from actress Anila Bisha, whose likeness was used as the basis of Diella, POLITICO reports.

Ms Bisha contends that the extensive video and audio material she recorded was to be used to create a digital assistant for online government services for a limited period of time.

“I have nothing to do with Diella as minister and no one asked me about that… I have only signed for the use of my image as a digital assistant at e-Albania and not as a minister,” she said.

She has asked a court in Tirana to immediately suspend the government’s use of Diella as a minister until the dispute is resolved.

A spokesperson for the Albanian government said: “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.”