The global economy is growing faster thanks to the AI boom. What are the risks involved?

The global economy could grow by 3.3% in 2026 due to a surge in investment in technology, primarily in the field of artificial intelligence.

This is stated in the International Monetary Fund’s blog.

The global economy is showing resilience despite trade restrictions and geopolitical tensions. Global growth in 2026 could be 0.2 percentage points higher than forecast in the fall of 2025.

The United States and China have made a significant contribution to the improved forecast.

In the US, the share of IT investments in the economy has reached its highest level since 2001. This has supported business activity and stock markets. Other regions, particularly Asia, are also feeling the positive effects of this.

At the same time, the IMF warns that the concentration of investment in the technology sector and the growth of debt financing could create new financial risks.

In a negative scenario, the global economy could lose up to 0.4% of its growth. The consequences of this will be felt not only by technology centers, but also by low-income countries, due to falling demand and rising borrowing costs.

Analysts are calling on governments and central banks to combine support for innovation with stricter financial oversight, preservation of monetary policy independence, and investment in employee retraining.

Recall that at the end of 2025, Silicon Valley’s largest AI startups attracted a record $150 billion in investments in 2025, preparing for a possible decline in demand for AI in 2026.

The bulk of the funds went to market leaders, including OpenAI and Anthropic, but investors advised them even then to build up financial reserves in case of a crisis.

Read more: A new competitor for Google Translate. OpenAI launches ChatGPT Translate as a separate translation service