PARIS, Sept. 23 — Artificial Intelligence (AI) is both a boost and a risk to the global economy, according to the latest Economic Outlook Interim Report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on Wednesday.
AI-related investment and production continued to grow rapidly in many economies in the first half of 2026, the report said, partially offsetting the overall economic impact of the conflict in the Middle East. Meanwhile, global economic growth slowed to an annualized rate of 2.6 percent in this period, down from 3.6 percent in the second half of 2025.
The OECD noted that real GDP growth in several countries in the second quarter of 2026 was boosted by investment in data center infrastructure and technology equipment, which stimulated growth in countries that intensively produce related technology and construction components.
Global economic growth is projected at 2.9 percent in 2026, said the OECD, and 3.0 percent in 2027. In many G20 economies, AI-related spending and production will continue to support growth, often outweighing relatively weak investment in other parts of the business sector.
According to the report, further expansion of AI-related investment and technology-related production across countries could provide an additional near-term boost to economic growth. AI technologies may also bring substantial productivity gains once they are effectively integrated into production processes.
However, the OECD warned that future energy shortages could be particularly damaging to growth industries such as AI, which are highly dependent on energy.
There is a risk that returns on AI investment could disappoint or take longer to materialize than currently expected, especially if bottlenecks emerge for inputs such as electricity or advanced semiconductors, the report said.
Growing security concerns related to AI could also slow its development or adoption. AI firms’ reliance on leverage and increasingly complex financing structures, together with signs of rising credit risk, could amplify any sharp shift in investor sentiment, the report added. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
