Heavy spending on AI, including data centres, computer chips and computing systems, is helping the global economy grow at around 3%. Speaking in Bangkok, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said this spending is helping make up for the economic damage caused by recent energy supply shortages.
The IMF warns AI could transform or wipe out 40% of jobs worldwide, and its chief says the first wave is already here.
Kristalina Georgieva said today that AI is hitting the economy from 2 directions, driving massive investment while reshaping demand.
The U.S., China and India are leading the charge, with AI spending helping keep global growth around 3%.
Advanced economies are already feeling the impact, and Georgieva’s biggest concern is young people entering the workforce.
The routine, repetitive jobs that traditionally give them a foot in the door are among the easiest to automate.
She also warned that AI could reshape the labor market so dramatically that governments may have to rethink how they collect taxes.
Hard to pay taxes on a salary that went to a chatbot.
Source: FXStreet / Writer: Julie
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 12, 2026
Georgieva said rising demand for AI technology is pushing companies to invest more and place larger orders with local manufacturers. This could add up to 1 percentage point to economic growth in advanced Asian economies and up to 0.8 percentage points in emerging Asian economies.
READ ALSO: IMF Highlights Strong Growth and Ongoing Bitcoin Discussions in El Salvador
What happens when much of the economic growth relies mainly on AI spending
Relying too heavily on one industry can leave an economy exposed when that industry struggles. Venezuela is an example. The country depended heavily on oil revenue, so when oil prices collapsed in 2014 and production fell, government income dried up, and the economic crisis deepened.
Businesses struggled to import goods, fuel shortages disrupted transport, and hyperinflation wiped out people’s purchasing power. The IMF estimates that Venezuela’s economy shrank by more than 75% between 2013 and 2021, while about 7 million people had fled the country by August 2022.
Online user @KrAk696 raised a similar concern, questioning whether the global economy is becoming too dependent on AI spending and warning that relying on one industry to sustain growth could be risky.
@Reuters Well I guess trillions of dollars should continue to be poured into that bottomless pit then, right??.. I mean, what else could the diverse universe of the world’s economy could stand on right??
— KrAk696 (@KrAk696) October 12, 2026
Building data centres and buying chips generate revenue for technology companies and hardware suppliers, but that does not automatically mean farms, banks, retailers, and other businesses will become more productive or that workers will earn more.
Observer @istinye questioned whether the gains from AI spending would spread across Asian economies or remain concentrated among computer hardware manufacturers and a small number of technology companies.
@Reuters If AI investment is what keeps global growth near 3%, the payoff depends on productivity gains spreading broadly. How confident is the IMF that Asia’s benefits won’t concentrate in a few sectors?
— İstinye Terzisi (@istinyeterzisi) October 12, 2026
There is a fight to win AI manufacturing contracts
Behind Asia’s growth figures, countries are competing for a share of the AI surge by securing contracts to manufacture the hardware that powers it. Rather than building entire supercomputers, they are focusing on specific parts of the supply chain, from computer chips and memory boards to server racks and power supplies.
This competition prompts users to ask which Asian countries will benefit first. Online user @downtown asked which country would see the economic gains of rising AI investment first, as the spending helps sustain global growth at around 3%.
@Reuters 성장률 3%를 떠받치는 게 AI 투자라니, 아시아 쪽 수혜는 어느 나라부터 드러날까요?
— 크리스피 (@DOWNTOWNBAVY) October 12, 2026
The countries that benefit early are not the ones developing the most advanced AI software. Much of the money is going to countries that already have the factories, equipment and skilled workers needed to produce AI hardware. Taiwan and South Korea are benefiting from demand for advanced chips and memory, while Malaysia earns from chip testing and packaging. Thailand is attracting electronics manufacturing, and Vietnam is drawing factories looking to expand production beyond China.
If AI spending slows, what happens to Bitcoin?
AI spending is helping support global growth, but what happens to Bitcoin if that spending slows down? Crypto leaders Arthur Hayes and Paolo Ardoino have different views on what could happen next.
Arthur Hayes, former CEO of crypto exchange BitMEX, believes companies are spending too much on AI data centres. Speaking at an investment conference in Singapore on October 7, he predicted a market crash by 2027 or 2028. A Brookings Institution study estimates that spending on data centres and related AI infrastructure could reach $10.3 trillion between 2025 and 2032.
Hayes believes a crash could eventually push Bitcoin higher. If financial trouble forces governments and central banks to pump more money into the economy, the extra cash could lift crypto prices. He has also argued that AI investment is absorbing much of the new money that might otherwise flow into Bitcoin.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino takes a more cautious view. He has warned that an AI bubble bursting could hurt Bitcoin because its price still moves closely with the stock market. However, he does not expect a crash as severe as the one in 2022, pointing to growing interest from pension funds and governments.
In another development, the IMF warned that the rising use of US dollar stablecoins could badly hurt the demand for the Nigerian naira. In its latest report, the global lender said that these digital assets speed up “digital dollarization”. This shift makes it harder for the central bank to control the local economy and keep prices stable.
Enjoyed this? Bookmark DeFi Planet, explore related topics, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and CoinMarketCap Community for seamless access to high-quality industry insights.
Take control of your crypto portfolio with DEFI PLANET PRO, DeFi Planet’s suite of analytics tools.
