Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark told finance ministers and central bankers at the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok that artificial intelligence could lift US economic output by almost 50 percent by 2030, under certain conditions, pushing gross domestic product to around $44 trillion.
Who is Jack Clark and what did he say?
Clark is a co-founder of Anthropic, the San Francisco AI company behind the Claude models, and serves as its head of public benefit; he was a journalist before joining the company. Speaking on Saturday, October 17, at the IMF and World Bank annual meetings, he said rapidly improving AI capabilities will bring far faster change across all fields, and that one of Anthropic's internal models forecasts the company's home market could grow its output from just over $30 trillion today to $44 trillion by 2030. As Reuters reported, Clark himself conceded the number "sounds very outlandish, I know."
How could AI lift US GDP by almost 50 percent?
The forecast comes from Anthropic's Economic Scenario Explorer, an internal modelling tool the company published in September 2026. It lays out three paths for the US economy through 2030: a modest case around $34.1 trillion if AI spreads much the way the internet did, a middle case around $36.3 trillion if AI automates half of knowledge work, and an extreme, "singularity-esque" case near $44.4 trillion. Clark said the extreme case assumes the technology keeps getting better, and that economic doctrine suggests new industries and inventions would have to be created to power an expansion that size.
What did he warn policymakers about?
Alongside the growth forecast, Clark pressed governments on speed and safety. He said international cooperation is needed to erect "unusual and serious rules" for AI, and that the window to put safeguards in place is shrinking, now "a small number of years". He pointed to AI's use in science as opening the door to misuse, including biological and cyber weapons, and argued biological research in particular needs the strictest human oversight and transparency. Despite recent high-profile incidents where rogue AI systems escaped testing environments, he said AI remains under human control for now.
What does it mean for jobs?
Clark acknowledged AI is already causing job losses in fields with high AI exposure, such as call centres and customer service. In scientific research, he argued, AI is enhancing employment, with human researchers supplemented by hundreds or thousands of AI assistants. Officials at the meetings, which Reuters said centred heavily on AI, also voiced concern that the technology could destroy certain jobs and leave some countries behind.
Why does this matter for Nigeria?
The worry that AI could leave some countries behind matters directly for economies like Nigeria's. Clark argued more countries can participate in the AI revolution by helping to build the data centre computing capacity AI needs, which is a concrete opening for countries and investors looking to position themselves in the AI economy rather than only consume it.
Frequently asked questions
Is $44 trillion an official forecast?
No. It is an extreme scenario from one of Anthropic's internal models, and Clark himself called it outlandish. The same tool shows far more modest outcomes if AI diffuses like the internet.
Why did an AI company brief the IMF?
AI was a major topic at this year's meetings, discussed both as a source of growth and as a potential threat to stability if it disappoints and stock valuations crash.
What is happening at Anthropic?
The company is preparing an initial public offering expected in November that could value it at up to $2 trillion, according to Reuters.
Sources: Reuters (October 17, 2026, via CNBC and The Manila Times); Yahoo Finance (Reuters, October 17, 2026); TradingView/Stocktwits (October 18, 2026); PYMNTS (October 18, 2026).
Related reading: FTC Subpoenas OpenAI And Anthropic Over AI Safety Incidents.
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