Lori Heinel, the Global Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of State Street Global Advisors is currently attending and speaking at the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand.
Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, Heinel discussed global markets, economic outlooks, and the implications of artificial intelligence. She noted that AI remains a highly transformative technology that holds significant, long-term benefits capable of spreading across the broader global economy
As AI dominated discussion at the IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, State Street Investment Management’s global CIO acknowledged a forecasting miss.
The firm had expected US economic momentum to fade in 2026. Instead, sustained AI spending kept growth going. She said the AI trade has “way more tail to it” than anticipated, both in capital expenditure and in how it is transforming businesses.
The admission adds to a growing view that AI capex has become a structural growth driver rather than a short-lived market theme.
State Street had expected a US slowdown in 2026; revised its view due to durable AI capex and business transformation;