FT survey points to AI-driven gains across the G20

The survey’s central finding is an expectation that AI will contribute to a global economic surge, with productivity gains anticipated by respondents.[1] Fifty-four percent of the 94 economists surveyed expect those gains to spread across the G20 over the next decade.[2] Their expectations extend beyond the United States and China, suggesting that the potential benefits are not viewed as limited to those two countries.[2] The figures describe economists’ expectations, however, rather than a measured outcome or an official economic projection.[1]

The survey points to concern about uneven distribution as well as potential growth: 32 economists see African countries falling behind.[2] The IMF says the AI boom is cushioning the global economy while widening the growth divide.[1] It warns that energy-importing economies with limited exposure to AI’s value chain risk missing out unless the gains spread more widely.[1] For business and policy planning, the implication is to distinguish the broad expectation of productivity benefits from the question of which countries and sectors will capture them.[1]

The survey arrives amid a mixed economic picture in the evidence cited: the IMF raised its 2026 global growth projection to 3.1% from 3.0% in its July round, and set its Asia-Pacific forecast at 4.8% for 2026 and 4.4% for the following year.[1] The IMF also warned that global resilience is at risk as fuel reserves dwindle.[1] Some officials cautioned against relying too heavily on AI investment as a source of growth.[1] At a Bangkok meeting, finance and business leaders spent the week grappling with uncertainty, with China and AI central to their worries.[1]

The IMF report cited in the coverage found that AI has cut job demand in exposed occupations by nearly 10% across Asia.[1] Separately, employers are increasingly seeking workers who can integrate AI into business processes and turn it into productivity.[1] These points describe both a potential shift in demand for some work and a growing interest in AI-related capabilities; they do not establish how the effects will vary by role or employer.[1] The IMF managing director framed the task as managing the risks of the AI transition rather than assuming its gains.[1]