Economists expect AI growth gains beyond the US and China

An FT survey of 94 economists sees productivity upside but uneven national outcomes.

Source: Financial TimesSource date: 2026-10-182 min

StatusConfirmed reporting are labeled; implications and outlook are editorial analysis. Forecasts are expert opinion, not observed outcomes; distributional and labor effects remain uncertain.

Editorial illustration: Economists expect AI growth gains beyond the US and China — Image: Evolve with AI · editorial illustration

Key fact94 economists

What happened

The survey finds broad expectations that adoption, not only model creation, will determine national gains.

Why it matters

Strategy leaders should treat complementary skills, infrastructure and diffusion as competitive assets.

Key numbers & facts

94 economists
Coverage spans Asia, the US and Europe

Practical implications

Plan workforce transitions by task and region rather than assuming uniform gains or job losses.

Likely future impact

Analysis, not a confirmed outcome.

Countries with strong adoption capacity may capture value even without frontier-model champions.

Evidence

The Financial Times reports survey responses and compares them with IMF and World Bank views.

What remains uncertain

Forecasts are expert opinion, not observed outcomes; distributional and labor effects remain uncertain.

Publisher: Evolve with AI. Individual authorship and human review are not recorded for this article.

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Sources and corrections

Financial Times (Reporting; source date: 2026-10-18)

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