Why AI is both the hope and the hazard for world leaders, according to IMF chief Georgieva

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 22: Kristalina Georgieva, managing director for the International Monetary Fund, speaks onstage during "Semafor: The Next 3 Billion" at Convene on September 22, 2026 in New York City. Roy Rochlin | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty ImagesSINGAPORE — The technology that investors and governments are counting on to lift the global economy is also adding pressure that threatens growth, the head of the International Monetary Fund said, urging policymakers to stop delaying painful choices on debt. Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told the audience at a Wednesday event in Singapore that artificial intelligence is "rapidly becoming a key driver of countries' relative fortunes in the world economy." But the triple forces of AI advancement, soaring energy costs and record public debt are challenging the already "underwhelming" growth this decade. "Love it, hate it, or fear it, AI is here," Georgieva said. Tugged in two directionsSpeaking ahead of a series of IMF and World Bank annual meetings that kick off next week, Georgieva framed the global economy as being tugged in two directions at once: a "negative energy supply shock" from the war in the Gulf, ...