WASHINGTON, DC: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday said artificial intelligence (AI) could boost productivity but also create divergence both within countries and across the world.
Speaking at a press briefing during the 2025 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and IMF, Georgieva said the AI investment boom has generated “incredible optimism” and could contribute 0.1 to 0.8 percent to global growth — a “significant” boost in a world currently growing at around 3 percent.
In its latest World Economic Outlook released Tuesday, the IMF slightly raised the 2025 global growth forecast to 3.2 percent, while warning that tariff shocks continue to dim prospects. Growth is projected to slow to 3.1 percent in 2026.
Georgieva said the IMF has developed an AI preparedness index, ranking countries based on digital infrastructure, labor market skills, innovation, and AI penetration. The index shows a “very big distribution from the best to the laggers,” underscoring potential inequalities.
“The risk we see is that we may end up in a world in which there is an increase in productivity, but it is also a source of divergence within countries and across countries,” she said.
At the briefing, Georgieva also unveiled the Global Policy Agenda, highlighting three priorities: unlocking private sector growth, rebuilding fiscal space and reducing debt, and addressing global imbalances.
“Uncertainty is here to stay, and change is unstoppable, but with change comes opportunity,” she stressed.
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