IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said AI infrastructure spending is helping the world economy grow about 3% a year despite high energy prices, speaking in Bangkok at the start of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings. She said advanced Asian economies could gain 0.5–1 percentage point of growth and emerging Asian economies 0.2–0.8 points, noting AI hardware and related products now account for more than a tenth of global goods trade, while major tech companies plan $660 billion–$690 billion of AI spending this year. Georgieva also called AI a "slow-moving tsunami" for jobs, education and tax collection, saying about four in ten jobs worldwide will eventually be affected — roughly 60% in richer countries versus 23% in the poorest — with young job-seekers hit first. World Bank President Ajay Banga said the bank is backing small AI tools that do not rely on large language models to help farmers, health systems and teachers in emerging markets.

IMF·World Bank·Kristalina Georgieva·+2