IMF chief warns of surging global debt, urges governments to tighten fiscal policy and guard against the risk of frontier AI spiraling out of control

IMF Managing Director Georgieva warned in Singapore that the global debt-to-GDP ratio has reached its highest level since World War II and will rise to 100% in the coming years, and that countries need to implement credible medium-term fiscal consolidation and be prepared for a hawkish monetary policy stance. She also cited IMF research saying AI, if effectively deployed, could contribute 0.5 percentage points to global economic growth, but risks of large-scale job losses, cyber and stability risks, and the possibility that frontier models could slip beyond human control must be addressed.