Chief Economists Outlook May 2025

32Chief Economists Outlook Figure 31. AI policy levers How important are the following strategies for countries to leverage AI for growth? Share of respondents (%)Increasing investment in AI infrastructure Fostering AI adoption across key industries Facilitating the movement of AI-related talent Public investment in upskilling and redeployment Reducing energy costs associated with AI deployment Developing ethical and safety standards for AI Simplifying AI regulation Enhancing cooperation and knowledge exchange Investing in public-sector AI capabilities11 8 8 3 3 6 17 6 8 31 50 1131 37 2617 49 173 25 50 1711 17 43 266 17 39 3611 58 226 58 2850 39Very unimportant Unimportant Important Very important Neither unimportant nor important Source: Chief Economists Survey. (2025, April). Strengthening human capital is a key priority, according to the chief economists, who highlight the relevance of both developing skills and enabling talent mobility to harness the benefits of AI. Public investment in upskilling and redeployment is also cited by three out of four surveyed chief economists (75%). This is a strong signal in line with findings elsewhere, and it underlines the importance of supporting people and unleashing augmentation potential in this technological revolution.88 Integrating AI literacy into national skills frameworks, supporting lifelong learning and co-creating training programmes with industry and academia could be beneficial as ways of harnessing AI for growth. At a time when the general trend is towards less rather than more flexibility on migration, a large majority of the chief economists (80%) also highlight that facilitating the movement of AI-related talent is a key strategy to harness AI for growth. 88 World Economic Forum. (2025b).