ThinkTankWeekly

AI, work, and the future of global competitiveness

Chatham House | 2026-04-27 | economy

Topics: Indo-Pacific, Economy

Visit original source

ThinkTankWeekly provides a curated entry and summary only. Full text and PDF remain on the publisher's website.

English Summary

AI adoption is identified as the primary driver of global economic competitiveness, shifting the focus from model development to effective, widespread deployment across sectors. While AI holds massive productive potential—estimated at up to $6.6 trillion across major economies—this potential is hampered by existing skills gaps and labor market rigidity. Therefore, the key policy imperative is coordinated action: governments, businesses, and educational institutions must collaborate to create responsive labor markets. This strategy is essential to rapidly upskill the global workforce, ensuring that talent can match economic opportunity and build a resilient, productive economy in the AI era.

中文摘要

AI的導入已被認定為全球經濟競爭力的主要驅動力,這使得政策焦點從模型開發轉向跨行業的有效、廣泛部署。儘管AI擁有巨大的生產潛力——預計在主要經濟體中可達六.六兆美元——但此潛力受到現有的技能缺口和勞動市場僵化所限制。因此,關鍵的政策重點是協調行動:政府、企業和教育機構必須合作,共同建立具應變能力的勞動市場。此策略對於快速提升全球勞動力技能至關重要,確保人才能夠匹配經濟機會,從而在AI時代建立一個有韌性、高生產力的經濟體。

Related Entries

  1. 1.
    2026-11-07 | defense | 2026-W45 | Topics: Indo-Pacific, Middle East, United States

    The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.

    Read at Foreign Affairs

  2. 2.
    2026-11-07 | economy | 2026-W45 | Topics: AI, China, Indo-Pacific, Middle East, Trade, Ukraine, United States

    The Blue Wave signals significant voter frustration with cost of living and inflation, giving Congress a mandate to prioritize affordability and cost-reduction measures. Economically, the rapid build-out of AI data centers is creating localized stress, driving up skilled labor wages and straining resources, while also facing constraints from power grids and potential local regulatory backlash. Policymakers must manage this 'sequencing issue'—addressing rising costs before full productivity gains from AI can materialize—and anticipate shifts in global data center infrastructure as the market matures.

    Read at CFR

  3. 3.
    2026-11-07 | diplomacy | 2026-W45 | Topics: Climate, Europe, Indo-Pacific, Trade, Ukraine, United States

    The U.S. is drastically reducing core funding to multilateral institutions, withdrawing from numerous bodies due to perceived misalignment with national interests. While multilateral channels offer critical advantages—such as pooling resources for global public goods and managing risk in fragile settings—the U.S.'s funding remains heavily 'earmarked,' which effectively 'bilateralizes' the system and undermines shared burden-sharing. This practice, coupled with deep cuts, diminishes the multilateral system's effectiveness and efficiency, particularly in humanitarian aid. Policy recommendations suggest the U.S. must adopt a systematic, published strategy for aid channel choice and shift from restrictive project-level earmarking to broader thematic funding to restore global cooperation.

    Read at Brookings

  4. 4.

    The article analyzes the deep ideological split within the Democratic Party regarding the future of U.S. foreign policy, pitting centrists against progressives. Centrists generally advocate for restoring a reformed U.S.-led international order and strengthening alliances, while progressives argue for a multipolar world that prioritizes transnational threats like climate change and AI over geopolitical competition. This division is most pronounced in the Middle East, where centrists push for greater pressure on Israel and a regional settlement, a shift largely welcomed by progressives. The core finding is that these internal debates threaten to consume a future administration with indecision, making it difficult for the U.S. to project a coherent and unified global strategy.

    Read at Foreign Affairs

  5. 5.
    2026-11-07 | economy | 2026-W45 | Topics: Europe, Indo-Pacific, Trade, United States

    The Brookings report argues that the U.S.'s historical 'exorbitant privilege'—its ability to issue debt cheaply—is steadily eroding. Key evidence shows a decline in the U.S. convenience yield relative to G10 peers, a trend linked to rising domestic debt and global fiscal stress. While recent global interest rate hikes have temporarily improved the U.S.'s relative borrowing appeal, the underlying loss of cheap credit suggests potential future higher borrowing costs for the government and poses long-term risks to the dollar's status as a reserve currency.

    Read at Brookings