McKinsey research indicates that artificial intelligence is fueling global trade, which grew 6.5% last year. This growth is largely driven by demand for AI-linked goods, such as semiconductors and servers, amidst ongoing geopolitical shifts.

Artificial intelligence has emerged as the driving force behind global trade growth, fuelled by a surge in data-centre buildouts at a time when geopolitical tensions are redrawing trade flows, according to McKinsey & Company. Global trade grew 6.5 per cent last year, outpacing the world economy, with AI-linked goods accounting for about one-third of that increase, McKinsey’s research showed. The category – including semiconductors, graphics cards, routers and servers – has been propelled by the....