The global artificial intelligence (AI) industry is experiencing explosive growth, poised to have a significant impact on global GDP and economic productivity in the years to come.
According to AltIndex.com, the rapid expansion of the sector is evident, with the AI market expected to reach 315 million users and a value of $184 billion in 2024, an increase of 35% YoY last. AI’s influence on GDP is expected to grow exponentially, potentially adding 9.5% to global GDP by 2030, almost five times this year’s contribution.
Additionally, a Statista Market Insights survey presents three scenarios of AI’s impact on GDP. In the moderate scenario, AI could contribute 9.5% to global GDP by 2030. In an optimistic scenario, this impact could increase to 11.41%, while even the conservative scenario estimates a contribution of 8.81%, signaling the transformative economic role of AI.
While AI and robotics promise economic and productivity gains, these technologies also introduce challenges, such as potential job losses, data privacy concerns, and a growing digital divide between AI-capable countries and those in development. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
North America is expected to see the largest increase in GDP from AI, with contributions increasing from 2.2% to 10.5% by 2030.
Asia, on the other hand, is expected to see the impact of AI on its GDP quintuple, an increase of 6.7% by the end of the decade.
Europe is also poised for substantial growth, with AI expected to increase GDP by 9.7%.
The value of AI is expected to nearly quadruple, reaching around $830 billion by 2030. The machine learning segment, in particular, will continue to dominate, with forecasts predicting a six-fold increase to a valuation of 503 billion dollars.
Natural language processing (NLP) and AI robotics are also expected to see significant growth, with NLP expected to reach $156 billion and robotics $64 billion by 2030.
With around 70 million new users expected each year, the AI user base could reach 730 million by 2030, more than double the current 315 million users. This expanding user base reflects the growing accessibility and adoption of AI across industries and regions.
While AI promises economic and productivity gains, it also introduces challenges, such as potential job losses, data privacy concerns, and a growing digital divide between AI-capable and developing countries.
Projected growth across all segments of AI highlights its central role in driving innovation, efficiency and economic expansion. For businesses and governments, investing in AI readiness and responding to potential societal impacts will be critical to leveraging these transformative capabilities.
The return of the robots
For its part, the global robotics industry is ready to bounce back after a difficult 2024, marked by stagnation due to various economic factors.
Robotics revenue is expected to grow 58%, reaching $73 billion by 2029, with average annual growth of around $5 billion starting in 2025, according to AltIndex.com.
This growth will be primarily driven by increasing demand for service robots, particularly those enhanced by AI and machine learning for specialized tasks.
Service robots, which are now four times more popular than industrial robots, are expected to lead market expansion, with revenues in this segment expected to increase 70% to $61 billion by 2029.
In contrast, industrial robots are expected to see a more modest growth of 15%, reaching $11.4 billion. The total number of robots in use is also expected to increase significantly, from 36.5 million units in 2024 to more than 61 million by the end of the decade.
Asia is expected to continue to dominate the market, home to a third of all robots worldwide, with China, Japan and South Korea leading the way.
Meanwhile, Europe and North America will follow closely, with forecasts expected to reach 19 million and 17 million robots respectively by 2029. This widespread growth in sectors like healthcare, logistics and The hospitality industry reflects a strong post-2024 outlook for the robotics industry, with a steady recovery expected as companies resume investment.
