IDC: AI to Contribute Nearly $20 Trillion to Global Economy by 2030

New research from IDC predicts that business spending on artificial intelligence will have a cumulative global economic impact of $19.9 trillion through 2030 and drive 3.5% of global GDP in 2030. As a result, AI will affect jobs across every region of the world, impacting industries like contact center operations, translation, accounting, and machinery inspection. Helping to trigger this shift are business leaders who almost unanimously, 98%, view AI as a priority for their organizations.

According to the report entitled, “The Global Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Economy and Jobs,” every new dollar spent in 2030 on business-related AI solutions and services will generate $4.60 into the global economy, in terms of indirect and induced effects. This is determined by a variety of factors including increased spending on AI solutions and services driven by accelerated AI adoption, and economic stimulus among AI adopters enjoying increased production and new revenue streams.

“In 2024, AI entered a phase of accelerated development and deployment defined by widespread integration that’s led to a surge in enterprise investments aimed at significantly optimizing operational costs and timelines,” said Lapo Fioretti, senior research analyst, Emerging Technologies and Macroeconomics at IDC. “By automating routine tasks and unlocking new efficiencies, AI will have profound economic consequences, reshaping industries, creating new markets, and altering the competitive landscape.”

The majority of respondents to IDC’s Future of Work Employees Survey expect some (48%) or most (15%) parts of their work to be automated by AI and other tech over the next two years, while only a minority (3%) of employees expect their jobs to be fully automated by AI.

While some work will be negatively impacted by the proliferation of AI, new positions, such as AI Ethics Specialists and AI Prompt Engineers, will emerge as dedicated roles within global organizations.

The research further indicates that a “human touch intensity,” combined with the level of “task repetitiveness” by which each job is characterized, will inform organizations about roles that are subject to a full AI and automation replacement, versus those where tech’s role will be to augment human capabilities. As such, the report says that positions where human social and emotional capabilities are critical, such as nursing and roles where decision-making encompasses ethics and comprehension beyond numbers, will remain robust.

To estimate the overall economic impact of a technology or a service, IDC developed an economic impact methodology that weighs direct effects such as revenues from artificial intelligence business solutions/services providers, and indirect effects such as economic impacts related to the AI supply chain and AI adopters’ benefits, and effects induced by the increase in production.

Channel Impact^®
The data makes it clear that we should be asking ourselves how our jobs can be made easier and better by AI. IDC suggests that AI will not replace your job but someone more skilled in using AI will have distinct advantages over those who are less skilled in AI.