BANGKOK, October 12 — Strong investment in AI infrastructure is keeping global economic growth at around 3%, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told the opening day of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok on Monday — with Asian economies that supply the hardware gaining the most. Why it matters: the world’s top economic policymaker is now treating the AI build-out not as a tech story, but as the main force holding up global growth.
What did the IMF say about AI and global growth?
Georgieva described the AI investment boom as a demand and investment shock arriving at the same time. By her figures, it could add between half a percentage point and a full percentage point of growth in advanced Asian economies, and between 0.2 and 0.8 of a point in emerging Asian economies. That extra push, she argued, is what is keeping world growth near 3% even as an energy supply shock drags in the other direction.
The IMF forecast 3% global growth for 2026 back in July, and it is due to publish an updated outlook on Tuesday. Around 18,000 people are expected at this week’s meetings in the Thai capital, including finance officials from the Fund’s 191 member countries.
Why is Asia benefiting most from the AI boom?
Georgieva named the United States, China and India as the most important producers in the AI supply chain — but pointed out that many of the firms building the physical infrastructure behind it sit in Asia, with host country Thailand a prime example. The chip plants, component makers and data-center builders of the region are collecting a large share of the spending, which is why the growth dividend shows up there first.
At the launch of a separate IMF book on Asia’s challenges, she added a second angle: ageing. The book’s findings suggest China, Japan and South Korea could each lose nearly a quarter of their working population between now and 2050 — a loss that AI-driven productivity gains could more than offset, if countries actually capture them. Krishna Srinivasan, who leads the IMF’s Asia and Pacific department, cautioned that the outcome depends on whether AI augments workers or simply automates jobs, and on whether adoption spreads evenly or widens the gap between richer and poorer economies. He said reforms that raise skills and productivity could pull adoption forward by a decade or more.
What did the IMF warn about AI and jobs?
The optimism came with a clear warning. Georgieva called AI a slow-moving tsunami for jobs, growth, education and even tax revenue, as economic value shifts from labour toward capital. She cited the IMF’s estimate that, over time, 40% of jobs could be augmented, downgraded or eliminated by the technology. An initial study, she said, found that 10% of jobs in the United States already required AI skills, while routine, repetitive work shrank and low-paying employment grew in two sectors in particular: construction and data centers.
Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, speaking at the same event, flagged the entry-level problem specifically: the first rung of the career ladder — the graduate’s first job — is already seeing less demand, and governments need to act on it soon rather than treat it as a future issue. World Bank President Ajay Banga, meanwhile, said the Bank is focused on so-called small AI that does not depend on large language models, aimed at productivity gains for farmers, health systems and teachers in emerging markets.
Why it matters
For anyone building on AI rather than just watching it, this is the macro backdrop in one briefing. The IMF is saying the data-center and chip spending wave is now large enough to move the global growth number — and that the same technology is already reshaping who gets hired, starting at the bottom of the ladder. The updated IMF outlook lands Tuesday; if it holds growth near 3% and credits AI investment again, expect the “AI is propping up the economy” argument to get louder, not quieter. As always: everything AI, tested — including the claims made about its economics.
Frequently asked questions
How much is AI adding to economic growth, according to the IMF?
Georgieva put the gain at 0.5 to 1 percentage point for advanced Asian economies and 0.2 to 0.8 of a point for emerging Asian economies, and credited AI investment with keeping global growth around 3%.
How many jobs does the IMF think AI will affect?
The IMF estimates 40% of jobs could be augmented, downgraded or eliminated over time. A study Georgieva cited found 10% of US jobs already require AI skills.
Can AI offset Asia’s ageing workforce?
The IMF book presented in Bangkok says countries such as China, Japan and South Korea could lose nearly 25% of their working population by 2050 — and that AI productivity gains could more than offset that loss if adoption is scaled evenly.
Sources: Reuters (reporting from Bangkok, October 12, 2026)