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IDC Predicts Artificial Intelligence to Contribute $19.9 Trillion to the Global Economy through 2030

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New research from IDC entitled, The Global Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Economy and Jobs, predicts that business spending to adopt artificial intelligence (AI), to use AI in existing business operations, and to deliver better products/services to business and consumer customers will have a cumulative global economic impact of $19.9 trillion through 2030 and drive 3.5% of global GDP in 2030.

As a result, AI will affect jobs across every region of the world, impacting industries like contact center operations, translation, accounting, and machinery inspection. Helping to trigger this shift are business leaders who almost unanimously, 98%, view AI as a priority for their organizations.

AI’s Net Positive Global Economic Impact

According to the research, in 2030, every new dollar spent on business-related AI solutions and services will generate $4.60 into the global economy, in terms of indirect and induced effects. This is determined by:

  • Increased spending on AI solutions and services driven by accelerated AI adoption
  • Economic stimulus among AI adopters, seeing benefits in terms of increased production and new revenue streams
  • Impact along the whole AI providers supply chain, increasing revenue for the providers of essential supplies to AI solutions and services providers

“In 2024, AI entered a phase of accelerated development and deployment defined by widespread integration that’s led to a surge in enterprise investments aimed at significantly optimizing operational costs and timelines,” said Lapo Fioretti, Senior Research Analyst, Emerging Technologies and Macroeconomics, IDC. “By automating routine tasks and unlocking new efficiencies, AI will have profound economic consequences, reshaping industries, creating new markets, and altering the competitive landscape.”

Impact on Employment — New Roles Emerge While Others Remain Resilient

The majority of respondents to IDC’s Future of Work Employees Survey expect some (48%) or most (15%) parts of their work to be automated by AI and other tech over the next two years, while only a minority (3%) of employees expect their jobs to be fully automated by AI.

While some work will be negatively impacted by the proliferation of AI, new positions such as AI Ethics Specialists and AI Prompt Engineers will emerge as dedicated roles within global organizations.

The research further indicates that a ‘human touch intensity,’ combined with the level of ‘task repetitiveness’ by which each job is characterized, will inform organizations about roles that are subject to a full AI and automation replacement, versus those where tech’s role will be to augment human capabilities. As such, positions where human social and emotional capabilities are critical, such as nursing and roles where decision-making encompasses ethics and comprehension beyond numbers will remain robust.

“Understandably, we’re all curious to know if AI will replace our jobs,” said Rick Villars, Group Vice President, Worldwide Research, IDC. “As a CEO interviewed by IDC’s Andrea Siviero said, ‘Based on this research it’s clear that we should be asking ourselves how our jobs can be made easier and better by AI. AI will not replace your job but someone who knows how to use AI better than you will.’”

Research Methodology

To estimate the overall economic impact of a technology or a service, IDC developed an economic impact methodology that combines IDC knowledge of the market and internal data with a standard analytical framework, known as an Economic Impact Analysis.

It leverages an input-output (I/O) framework, using the most updated input-output official tables of a specific economy: through I/O tables, specific multipliers are determined and applied to the specific technologies to calculate the related effect.

This IDC Economic Impact Analysis evaluates three types of impact on the economy. In this AI-specific model, these are:

Direct Effect — Includes revenues from artificial intelligence business solutions/services providers directly selling their products to end users.

Indirect Effect — Refers to the economic impact related to the AI supply chain and AI adopters’ benefits. It includes the effects that organizations/tech providers have on the region or country due to their operations related to AI provision.

Backward indirect effects refer to the economic effects on supply chains and industries that provide inputs to AI-driven sectors — in other words, revenues generated in local industries impacted by AI.

Forward indirect effects refer to the effects on AI adopters, excluding consumers, that benefit from the adoption of AI technology, in terms of productivity, revenue growth, and other business parameters.

Induced Effect — These are effects induced by the increase in production. It refers to the impact, due to economic stimulus, from an increase in household income, including existing and new employees linked to the AI value chain across direct and indirect effects layers. People will spend part of their wages in the economy, thus generating additional economic impact.

“The importance of economic impact models is increasing. This type of analysis can be of importance for any vendor who wants to understand the impact of its specific products or services in a short or medium-term period.

“It helps not only businesses but also governments and other stakeholders make informed decisions by evaluating the potential benefits of a technology investment, for example, to the economy,” said Carla La Croce, Research Manager, Data and Analytics, IDC.

The IDC report, The Global Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Economy and Jobs: AI will Steer 3.5% of GDP in 2030 (Doc #US51057924), assesses the impact of artificial intelligence in terms of economic output and employment.

This assessment leverages IDC’s knowledge of the market and internal data, as well as IDC’s Economic Impact model, which considers the direct, indirect, and induced effects of AI in the economy.

“The study delves into the global impact of AI on the economy, diving deep into specific regions, technology layers, and industries. The goal is to assess AI’s cumulative contributions to the economy with respect to the forecast global GDP in 2030.

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E-Business

NITDA, API Partner Against Harmful Online Content

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National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with the Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), has convened a one-day workshop in Abuja to advance dialogue on the draft Online Harm Protection (OHP) Bill to confront harmful online content.

NITDA, API Partner Against Harmful Online Content

The bill, a rights-based, locally rooted, and multi-stakeholder initiative, is aimed at addressing the challenges of the digital age.

The event, which held yesterday, brought together government officials, civil society, academics, digital platforms, and legal experts to shape a policy framework designed to combat online ills such as cyberbullying, disinformation, hate speech, digital exploitation, and gender-based violence, while safeguarding democratic freedoms and digital inclusion.

In his keynote remarks, Kashifu Inuwa, director general, NITDA urged a paradigm shift in the way society engages with digital technologies.

“For almost two decades, we have viewed digital technology through a consumer lens. But these technologies are not just products and services. They are transforming how we live, work, and interact. They shape our politics, our society, and our democracy,” he said.

Warning against unaccountable digital power in the hands of private corporations, the DG likened the digital journey to the tale of Alice in Wonderland, where initial fascination with innovation has given way to deeper concerns about privacy, autonomy, and manipulation by big tech platforms.

“We thought we were using Google, but now we realise Google is using us. Social media, once a tool of expression, has become a tool of surveillance and influence,” Inuwa noted.

He, therefore, emphasised the urgency of developing a democratic and accountable framework.  He explained that following the 2021 Twitter ban, NITDA facilitated dialogue between the government and platform operators, leading to a Code of Practice that stressed Nigeria’s sovereignty and legal standards.

According to him, the same process birthed the multi-stakeholder steering committee and the OHP White Paper in December 2024, laying the foundation for the current legislative push.

Earlier in her opening remarks,  Victoria Manya, co-founder, API, observed the moral and civic necessity of the bill.

Her words: “The internet did not break society, it merely revealed its unfiltered version. Every day, Nigerians are exposed to harassment, disinformation, exploitation, and even algorithmic violence. The OHP Bill is not a war on the Internet. It is a peace offering to its users, a social contract for a digital future that is safe, inclusive, and democratic.

“We cannot answer the question of algorithmic power with unchecked state control. We must answer it with shared, rights-based governance. This bill must not be written for the people, but with them.”


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How AI Alert by Airtel is Transforming Mobile Security in Africa

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These days, people rely heavily on their mobile phones for talking, texting, banking, social media, and storing important personal information. Because of this, scammers and spammers often target phone users.

Mobile fraud, like fake SMS messages and scams, is becoming more common and putting millions at risk of losing money or having their private details stolen.

Airtel’s new AI-powered Spam Alert Service offers a smart and timely way to fight back, marking a major step forward in protecting mobile users in Africa.

A brief look at mobile fraud and spam

Mobile fraud and spam are problems around the world, but they hit harder in places where mobile phone use is growing fast, and safety measures haven’t caught up.

A 2024 report from GSMA Mobile Economy shows that more than 20% of mobile users globally have experienced some kind of mobile fraud, with spam texts being one of the most common.

In Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has noted a sharp rise in scam messages and fake calls, leading to yearly losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

These spam texts often include fake links, harmful ads, or tricks to steal personal details. Many people get caught without knowing, which can lead to stolen bank money, identity theft, or damaged devices.

Older spam blockers only work on certain phones or apps, leaving many people, especially those using basic phones, without protection.

Why Airtel’s AI Spam Alert Service stands out

Airtel, a top telecom company in Africa, has launched a new and free service called the AI Spam Alert Service. It’s the first of its kind in Africa and aims to protect mobile users from spam text messages as they come in.

What makes this service different is that it doesn’t read or check the actual message content. Instead, it uses advanced artificial intelligence to quickly study the sender’s behaviour using over 250 signs or patterns, all within a fraction of a second.

Some of those parameters, according to Airtel, includes:

  • How frequently the sender changes SIM cards.
  • The volume and frequency of messages sent by the message initiator to different recipients.
  • The geographical spread of the recipient numbers, whether messages are targeted locally or dispersed nationwide.
  • Whether the sender receives replies or only sends messages.
  • A cross-reference of numbers previously reported for spam activity.

The AI completes this analysis in just 2 milliseconds, faster than the blink of an eye, allowing real-time alerts to subscribers as suspected spam messages arrive.

How Airtel’s Spam Alert Service improves mobile safety and trust

Airtel’s new AI-powered spam alert system is set to make a big difference in mobile security across Nigeria and the rest of Africa. Instead of depending on users to block spam themselves, the service works directly through the network to stop suspicious messages before they reach people’s phones.

This kind of technology helps users feel safer and more confident using mobile networks—especially as more people rely on their phones for banking and other money-related services.

A 2025 report by McKinsey Digital shows that many Africans worry about mobile security when using digital financial tools. By reducing the risk of spam and fraud, Airtel is not only protecting its users but also helping to build a safer digital space where more people can take part in the growing mobile economy.

According to Airtel, within two months of its launch, the spam alert service system has identified 9,667,008 messages as potential spam.

Why this is a game changer

By building a service that is first-of-its-kind in Africa, Airtel is leading the way in offering spam alerts, powered by AI directly on its network, for over 150 million subscribers across the continent.

In addition, the service is quick, spotting suspicious sender activity in just milliseconds without reading users’ messages.

Finally, the service is free and requires no app downloads or extra setup. Airtel says the turns on automatically, making it easy for everyone to stay protected, even those using basic phones.

By sending signals to users before problems happen, Airtel boosts trust and encourages more people to safely use mobile money and other digital services.

Scammers are always finding new ways to trick consumers through the ubiquitous mobile phones, so increased demand for security improvements is, understandably, shifting to telecom companies.

Airtel’s AI Spam Alert Service is a strong and timely move toward better, smarter protection for users. As more people start using the service, it should help cut down fraud, keep personal information safe, and make mobile use more enjoyable.

As African economies continue to grow more digital, users of telecom services will need more secure and reliable ways to communicate, and Airtel is leading the way towards that safe future.

 


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Microsoft Server Hack Likely Solo Actor, Thousands at Risk

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A widespread cyberattack targeting Microsoft’s (MSFT.O) server software used by thousands of government agencies and businesses for internal document sharing was likely orchestrated by a single actor, a cybersecurity researcher said on Monday.

Microsoft Server Hack Likely Solo Actor, Thousands at Risk

Microsoft issued an alert on Saturday warning of “active attacks” on on-premise SharePoint servers.

The company clarified that SharePoint Online, part of the Microsoft 365 cloud suite, was not affected by the exploit, which is considered a “zero-day” vulnerability due to its previously undiscovered nature.

“Based on the consistency of the tradecraft seen across observed attacks, the campaign launched on Friday appears to be a single actor. However, it’s possible that this will quickly change,” Rafe Pilling, director of Threat Intelligence at Sophos, a British cybersecurity firm.

That tradecraft included the sending of the same digital payload to multiple targets, Pilling added.

Microsoft said it had “provided security updates and encourages customers to install them,” a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

It was not clear who was behind the ongoing hack. The FBI said on Sunday it was aware of the attacks and was working closely with its federal and private-sector partners, but offered no other details.

Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Washington Post said unidentified actors in the past few days had exploited a flaw to launch an attack that targeted U.S. and international agencies and businesses.

According to data from Shodan, a search engine that helps to identify internet-linked equipment, over 8,000 servers online could theoretically have already been compromised by hackers.

Those servers include major industrial firms, banks, auditors, healthcare companies, and several U.S. state-level and international government entities.

“The SharePoint incident appears to have created a broad level of compromise across a range of servers globally,” said Daniel Card of British cybersecurity consultancy, PwnDefend.

“Taking an assumed breach approach is wise, and it’s also important to understand that just applying the patch isn’t all that is required here.”


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