The International Monetary Fund is urging governments and technology companies to build stronger guardrails around artificial intelligence as the technology reshapes jobs, investment and economic growth worldwide. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva made the call at the IMF-World Bank meetings in Bangkok on October 16, saying AI could deliver major benefits but its risks are moving faster than public policy.
IMF warns of runaway risks
Georgieva compared the AI boom to a Formula 1 race car that needs barriers to keep it from harming people. Anthropic co-founder and Head of Policy Jack Clark said advanced AI development is moving faster than regulation and argued that companies should not make all the key decisions alone, according to The Associated Press.
The concerns were part of a broader discussion about how to manage systems that can create content, make decisions and perform tasks with limited human oversight. The IMF’s official event description identified productivity, financial stability, labor markets, cybersecurity and the fair distribution of AI’s gains as central issues.
Workers face uneven changes
Georgieva said an IMF study found that about 10% of jobs might be transformed or newly created as AI spreads. Repetitive work is more likely to disappear, while new service jobs may grow around the investment boom. She said the overall effect could be positive, but some new jobs may pay less than the professional roles they replace, AP reported.
That outlook is consistent with separate IMF research, which found that nearly 40% of jobs worldwide could be affected by AI-driven change. The IMF’s January analysis also found that about one in 10 job postings in advanced economies now requires at least one new skill.
Asia shows early pressure
Regional data shows how those changes are already appearing in hiring. The IMF’s Asia-Pacific department reported that employer demand has fallen by 10% in jobs more exposed to AI, although the decline has stabilized as companies seek workers with AI-related skills.
The report points to a widening gap between workers and countries that can invest in digital infrastructure, education and new skills and those that cannot. The IMF says access to electricity, digital networks and cybersecurity will affect how broadly the benefits spread.
Policy decisions move closer
The IMF’s message places AI regulation alongside economic policy rather than treating it as only a technology issue. Governments will face pressure to protect workers, limit financial risks and maintain competition while still allowing useful systems to develop.
At the Bangkok meeting, those challenges were presented as connected parts of the same transition: AI is changing economies and workplaces while policymakers work to manage its risks and distribute its benefits.
References
International Monetary Fund. (2026, October 16). AI and the global economy: From risk to opportunity. https://www.imf.org/en/meetings/2026/annual/schedule/2026/10/16/ai-global-economy-212373
Kurtenbach, E. (2026, October 16). IMF-World Bank meetings focus on global risks and potential benefits of AI. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/faba248f0609534a0d8284dec1b46a81
International Monetary Fund. (2026, October 15). IMF Asia Pacific Department press briefing. https://mediacenter.imf.org/news/imf-asia-pacific-department-press-briefing/s/bbb3be9e-4560-44ee-9467-a437b643d42e
Georgieva, K. (2026, January 14). New skills and AI are reshaping the future of work. International Monetary Fund. https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/articles/2026/01/14/new-skills-and-ai-are-reshaping-the-future-of-work