Anthropic co-founder Clark projects U.S. GDP to hit $44T by 2030 thanks to AI

Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark warned policymakers on Saturday that rapidly improving artificial intelligence (AI) could significantly boost the US economy by almost 50 percent by 2030, according to internal models. Speaking at IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, Clark emphasized the need for international cooperation to establish unusual and serious rules for the transformative technology.

He noted that the estimated potential US GDP of $44 trillion, compared to the current level of just over $30 trillion, sounds outlandish but assumes continued AI advancement. Clark highlighted AI's role in accelerating scientific discovery, including breakthroughs in drug development, and suggested that new industries and inventions would likely emerge to support such economic growth.

While acknowledging job losses in certain sectors, Clark painted a picture of a rosy future where AI enhances employment and creates jobs in entirely new industries. He cautioned that global leaders need to understand AI's power and make urgent choices about regulation, particularly in biological research where AI has already led to the creation of new viruses.

Despite some high-profile AI incidents, Clark maintained that AI remains under human control for now, but the window for imposing safeguards is rapidly closing as AI becomes more capable.