Jailed mayor uses AI avatar to promise constituents free school lunches
Politicians will keep making promises no matter what.
Screenshot from Erion Veliaj's Instagram profile via Cybernews
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- Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj used an AI-generated video to promise free school lunches from jail.
- Veliaj remains mayor after Albania’s Constitutional Court ruled his dismissal was unconstitutional.
- He is in pre-trial detention on corruption and money laundering allegations, which he denies.
- Albania has also appointed Diella, a chatbot, to oversee public tenders and procurement.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
A jail cell didn’t stop Erion Veliaj, the mayor of Albania’s capital, Tirana, from promising free school lunches for all the city’s children.
Veliaj’s Instagram account posted a video on October 7th, 2026, in which the virtual mayor appears to be speaking between the Albanian and municipal flags.
In the video labeled “AI-generated,” virtual Veliaj talks about the mayor’s achievements and promises free school lunches for all children in Tirana, according to Politico.
"My hostage situation has been going on for 20 months, and I can only greet you with artificial intelligence,” his avatar is quoted as saying.
Veliaj was sent to pre-trial detention over corruption and money laundering in 2025, allegations he has denied. Despite being in jail, he remains the mayor of Tirana, because the Constitutional Court ruled that his initial dismissal was unconstitutional.
In Albania, a small European country of approximately 2.7 million people, AI is used not only as a political communication tool but also as a politician itself.
The country’s government has appointed Diella, a chatbot initially developed to respond to citizens’ requests, as a minister overseeing tender and procurement processes.
The cabinet member was later revealed to be “pregnant” with 83 babies, which will serve as assistants for participants of parliamentary sessions and advisors to parliament members.
While Veliaj’s address sparked controversy in Albania, this isn't the first time an imprisoned political leader has turned to technology to increase the reach of their message.
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan used his AI avatar to address voters before the general election in 2023.
