Humans and Intelligent Machines

Posted on November 15, 2016 by iMFdirect

By iMFdirect

Inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil, says intelligent machines are your friends.

In this podcast, Kurzweil talks about how artificial intelligence is helping overcome our human limitations and creating better-paying jobs.

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Filed under: education, Employment, growth, IMF, International Monetary Fund, jobs, technology, U.S. | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

A “New Normal” for the Oil Market

Posted on October 27, 2016 by iMFdirect

By Rabah Arezki and Akito Matsumoto

Versions in عربي (Arabic), 中文 (Chinese), Français (French), 日本語 (Japanese), Русский (Russian), and Español (Spanish)

While oil prices have stabilized somewhat in recent months, there are good reasons to believe they won’t return to the high levels that preceded their historic collapse two years ago. For one thing, shale oil production has permanently added to supply at lower prices. For another, demand will be curtailed by slower growth in emerging markets and global efforts to cut down on carbon emissions. It all adds up to a “new normal” for oil.

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Filed under: Advanced Economies, Economic research, Financial markets, growth, IMF, International Monetary Fund, oil, technology | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

The World Economy: Moving Sideways

Posted on October 4, 2016 by iMFdirect

maury-obstfeld-weo_220x150By Maurice Obstfeld

Versions in: عربي (Arabic), 中文 (Chinese), Français (French), 日本語 (Japanese), Русский (Russian), and Español (Spanish)

A return to the strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth that Group of Twenty leaders called for at Hangzhou in September still eludes us. Global growth remains weak, even though it shows no noticeable deceleration over the last quarter. The new World Economic Outlook sees a slowdown for the group of advanced economies in 2016 and an offsetting pickup for emerging and developing economies. Taken as a whole, the world economy has moved sideways. Without determined policy action to support economic activity over the short and longer terms, sub-par growth at recent levels risks perpetuating itself—through the negative economic and political forces it is unleashing.

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Filed under: Advanced Economies, Africa, Annual Meetings, Economic outlook, Economic research, Emerging Markets, Financial markets, growth, IMF, International Monetary Fund | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Building Collaboration Without Crisis

Posted on September 29, 2016 by iMFdirect

By Ian Bremmer and David Lipton

Versions: عربي (Arabic), 中文 (Chinese), Français (French), 日本語 (Japanese), Русский (Russian), and Español (Spanish)

Too often, a spirit of international cooperation evaporates just when it is most needed and most promising. And then, lack of cooperation leads to crisis; crisis belatedly forces cooperation; but that cooperation must begin with picking up the pieces.

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Filed under: Advanced Economies, Annual Meetings, China, Economic Crisis, Economic research, Emerging Markets, Europe, IMF, Inequality, International Monetary Fund, Middle East, U.S. | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

A Tale of Two Tellers

Posted on August 31, 2016 by iMFdirect

Jeff Hayden

by Jeff Hayden

My mother eases her car into the drive-through lane at our local bank, signs the back of her check, and places it in a metal canister. WHOOSH—the cylinder flies through a pneumatic tube to the teller inside the building.

In a few minutes, the teller squawks her thanks from the intercom speaker nearby. Another WHOOSH, and the canister returns. Inside we find a deposit receipt and a lollipop. Welcome to high-efficiency consumer banking, circa 1973.

Summer 2016. In our kitchen, I watch my oldest son rip open his paycheck and whip out his iPhone. TAP. SWIPE. CLICK. The deposit is made in an instant, thanks to an app that plugs him into an electronic banking network.

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Filed under: Advanced Economies, Africa, Asia, banking, China, developing countries, Economic research, Emerging Markets, Employment, euro zone, Europe, Finance, Globalization, IMF, International Monetary Fund, technology | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Africa Pausing

Posted on May 31, 2016 by iMFdirect

Jeff HaydenBy Jeff Hayden

Strong performance by many African economies over the past two decades led some commentators to coin the term “Africa Rising” to describe the region’s surging economic power.

The term graced the cover of TIME magazine in December 2012, in an issue that chronicled the region’s decades-long journey from economic anemia to impressive vigor. Beginning in the mid-1990s, many—but certainly not all—countries in sub-Saharan Africa energized their economies, achieving in recent years some of the world’s highest growth. Living standards improved as a result, as did health care and other key services, inspiring hope for a bright future.

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Filed under: Africa, Fiscal policy, Government, growth, IMF, International Monetary Fund, Investment | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Virtual Currencies: The Public Impact of Private Money

Posted on January 20, 2016 by iMFdirect

By iMFdirect

(Version in عربي, 中文, and Español)

Technology and finance have always gone together. So what’s new this time around? Virtual currencies are part of a broader tech revolution that is driving fundamental change in the global economy.

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Filed under: Finance, Financial markets, Financial regulation, International Monetary Fund, technology | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

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