PwC's latest "Value in Motion" study finds that the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) could materially raise global economic output over the next decade. The report's model estimates that AI could add up to 15 percentage points to global GDP by 2035 — roughly equivalent to an additional one percentage point of annual growth.
Basis of the projection
The PwC analysis combines qualitative scenario work, quantitative modelling and expert judgement. The baseline growth trajectory uses Shared Socioeconomic Pathway projections adjusted for AI's potential impacts, while physical climate risks are incorporated using external scientific estimates of climate-related GDP losses.
Conditions and downside risks
PwC stresses that the economic upside from AI is not guaranteed. The scale of the benefit depends on factors beyond technical performance, including whether AI is deployed responsibly and whether public and institutional trust and cooperation are sufficient.
According to the scenario analysis, lower-trust, low-cooperation scenarios produce only about an 8% GDP uplift over a ten-year horizon from AI, and the most pessimistic scenarios show as little as a 1% effect.
Industry transformation and new value chains
The report highlights that industries will reorganize in new ways over the next decade, producing cross-sector activities that cut across traditional boundaries. For example, the adoption of electric vehicles has drawn power utilities, battery makers and technology companies into mobility value chains, allowing them to create value alongside automakers.
Climate-related constraints
While AI can accelerate growth, PwC's climate modelling warns that physical climate risks will constrain the economy. Their model indicates that climate-related physical risks could reduce global economic output by nearly 7% by 2035. At the same time, AI can be used to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions; although increased AI workloads may raise data center energy demand, AI-driven innovations could offset some of those effects.
PwC's practical responses and technologies
To support clients, PwC is rolling out and using multiple AI innovations. Its Agent OS (agent-based operating system) enables companies to connect and scale intelligent AI solutions (AI agents) into business processes faster — PwC says up to ten times faster than traditional approaches. The firm also deploys several hundred AI solutions internally across tax, audit and advisory tasks.
Since early December, PwC has announced additional collaborations with existing partners including AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft and Oracle, complementing previous partnerships with Adobe, Anthropic, Guidewire, OpenAI, SAP, Salesforce and Workday.
Brand and identity update
Coinciding with the research release, PwC refreshed its visual and verbal brand identity to better reflect its role in helping clients create, sustain and accelerate success through expertise and technology. The updated visual elements and logo are intended to symbolize how PwC guides clients forward.
About the PwC network
PwC's technology-forward, people-centered network employs over 370,000 people in 149 countries. The firm's services include audit and assurance, tax and legal advisory, and transaction and business consulting.
The report underlines that capturing AI's economic potential will require technological investment, responsible deployment and stronger societal trust; without those conditions, the net economic gains may fall well short of the report's upper estimates.
