Overview
- The WTO’s annual report models AI raising cross-border trade by 34–37% by 2040 and global GDP by 12–13%, contingent on lower-income economies narrowing technology gaps.
- The projections show the largest gains in digital services at about 42%, with processed goods near 24% and raw materials close to 10%.
- The study estimates trade in AI-related inputs such as semiconductors and key raw materials reached $2.3 trillion in 2023.
- Early uses already cut costs by boosting supply-chain transparency, automating customs processes, and easing compliance with complex rules.
- Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala warns that without targeted skills programs, reduced digital divides, and an open, predictable trading environment, AI could deepen inequality.