Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj Uses AI Avatar to Address Voters from Jail
Erion Veliaj, held since February 2025 on corruption charges he denies, used the video to promise free school meals.
Background
October 7, 2026 - 10:56 am
Erion Veliaj, mayor of Tirana, during a previous event. (Credit: Photo: BMEIA/Gruber / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
Erion Veliaj, the mayor of Albania’s capital, Tirana, has spoken to voters through an AI copy of himself, promising free school meals. The video was posted on his official Instagram account and is indeed labelled as AI-generated content.
The Issue
The main problem isn't AI-generated content from a mayor—it's the fact that he is in jail, awaiting trial.
The Video
In a four-minute video, a digital Veliaj sits in front of the flags of Albania and Tirana, opening with gratitude to residents at the start of the school year and explaining his absence due to legal issues.
"For 20 months my hostage-taking has continued, and I cannot send this greeting except through artificial intelligence."
The video showcases his achievements over the years, from improving run-down nurseries to rebuilding schools damaged in a 2019 earthquake. He emphasizes his commitment to ensuring every child has access to quality education, regardless of family income.
He concludes by fulfilling a promise to provide free school lunches, stating:
"However much they want to keep me away from the city, and from you, Tirana is the honor of my life... To repay that honor, I will keep working even from the cell where they have locked me up."
Reception and Context
The video sparked backlash in Albania, drawing comparisons to AI-generated speeches used by former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan while in prison.
Erion Veliaj was arrested in February 2025, facing charges of corruption, money laundering, and hiding assets—all of which he denied. Despite his detention, he remains the official mayor, though Tirana’s council voted to remove him in 2025; a new vote was called off after a Constitutional Court ruling deemed the dismissal unconstitutional.
Albania aims to join the EU but is not yet a member, meaning AI labelling rules in force since August do not apply there.