International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Thursday that artificial intelligence (AI) could boost productivity, but it could also be a source of divergence within countries and across countries.
Noting that the AI investment boom is bringing "incredible optimism," Georgieva told a press briefing during the 2025 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the IMF that AI will contribute to global growth somewhere between 0.1 percent and 0.8 percent, which is "significant."
In its latest World Economic Outlook released Tuesday, the IMF slightly raised its global economic growth projection for 2025 to 3.2 percent, while pointing out that the tariff shock is further dimming growth prospects. Global growth is projected to fall to 3.1 percent in 2026.
"We are stuck in this around 3 percent growth right now. And if we were to extract that kind of boost of growth (from AI), that would be very significant for the world," said Georgieva.
She noted that the IMF has developed the AI preparedness index, which ranks countries on four criteria: digital infrastructure, labor market skills, innovation, and how it penetrates.
The IMF chief also highlighted "a very big distribution from the best to the laggers" in terms of AI adoption.
"So, 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," Georgieva said, adding that this is why preparedness really matters.
AI could be source of divergence within, across countries: IMF chief
AI could be source of divergence within, across countries: IMF chief
The two-day 2025 Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Conference concluded on Friday in Shanghai, where multiple globally leading "China solutions" took center stage.
Under the theme "Brain connects the world, wisdom gathers in Shanghai," the event gathered research teams from major universities, leading industry developers, and experts across the BCI sector to strengthen the connection between research, application, and policy.
As part of the event, the first BCI competition featured four categories—fatigue detection, emotion recognition, brain-controlled robotic cars, and brain-controlled robotic arms - with 40 out of nearly 100 teams from across China received prizes.
In the BCI Industry Innovation Exhibition Zone, more than a dozen frontier-tech companies presented cutting-edge technologies ranging from key components to comprehensive system-level solutions.
Exhibits spanned the entire technology chain, from underlying hardware to clinical applications, covering fields such as sleep intervention, mental illness treatment, and rehabilitation for degenerative diseases—highlighting the latest trends in BCI development.
"We completed the first domestic clinical trial this March, and next year we will launch large-scale clinical trials," said an exhibitor named Chen Yaoxu.
Shanghai has established China's first future industry cluster dedicated to BCI technologies. During the conference, several new innovation platforms—including a BCI service platform and a joint laboratory for digital neuromedicine - were inaugurated.
"We are guided by clinical needs and clinical scenarios. At the same time, we are opening high-quality EEG datasets for enterprises to support their algorithm research and guide them in developing concrete products that truly address real-world needs," said Wang Zhuoyao, BCI Project manager of Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission.
Shanghai conference highlights China's cutting-edge brain-computer interface innovations
