Davos: IMF's Georgieva on Trade Tariffs, AI, Venezuela, Ukraine

Watch on YouTube ↗  |  January 19, 2026 at 15:39  |  8:26  |  Bloomberg Markets
Speakers
Kristalina Georgieva — Managing Director, International Monetary Fund

Summary

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva discusses the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook, which projects 3.2% global growth this year and next despite trade tensions. She highlights resilient private-sector behavior and continued AI investment funding, while warning that AI productivity returns and trade escalation remain key risks. She also describes Venezuela's devastated economy and outlines a new IMF program for Ukraine intended to anchor stability and unlock EU financing.

  • IMF projects 3.2% global growth this year and next.
  • Trade tensions are less severe than feared but remain a growth risk.
  • AI investment enthusiasm is profitable so far; IMF expects funding to continue.
  • Georgieva cautions that AI productivity and returns must justify the spending.
  • Venezuela's economy is described as devastated with hyperinflation risk.
  • IMF has no current engagement with Venezuela pending membership recognition.
  • A new IMF program for Ukraine is positioned as a stability anchor.
  • The program is expected to enable 90 billion euros of EU financing to flow to Ukraine.
Ideas
Kristalina Georgieva Managing Director, International Monetary Fund 4:21
AI funding continues but returns uncertain
The enthusiasm to invest in AI is being rewarded by profitability so far, and the IMF expects the flow of funding into AI to continue this year, even at the cost of other worthy areas. She is not yet worried about dot-com-style frothing, but cautions investors to monitor the productivity impact of AI closely: estimated growth impact ranges widely from 0.1% to 0.8%, and the return on investment must materialize at scale and speed to justify the massive flow of capital.
AI-SECTOR HIGH
Kristalina Georgieva Managing Director, International Monetary Fund 5:47
Venezuela economy devastated; hyperinflation risk
Venezuela's economy is in a devastating state: output has shrunk dramatically, inflation is rising with hyperinflation risk, about 8 million people have left, and credible data is lacking, making a turnaround extremely difficult. The IMF has had no engagement since 2019 and can only step up if its membership recognizes the authorities, so the current backdrop remains deeply unattractive for Venezuela.
Venezuela HIGH
Kristalina Georgieva Managing Director, International Monetary Fund 8:12
IMF program unlocks EU funds for Ukraine
The first IMF program for Ukraine completed eight reviews successfully, and a new IMF program will serve as an important anchor of macroeconomic and financial stability, allowing 90 billion euros from the EU to flow into Ukraine. That improves the country's external funding and stability outlook, though it remains a macro and financing setup rather than a direct activist trade call.
Ukraine MED
Up Next
1:08:08
Clay Robbins: Building Colosseum, Solana’s Largest Hackathon & Accelerator with 80,000 Participants
Delphi Digital · Jan 19
53:11
Trump Era Davos 'Survival of the Richest' | The Pulse 1/19
Bloomberg Markets · Jan 19
1:35:39
Trump Threatens Europe, Global Stocks Sell Off | The Opening Trade 1/19/2025
Bloomberg Markets · Jan 19
18:46
현금의 시대는 끝났다! 전 세계가 주목하고 있는 머니 리셋! / 스테이블코인 때문에 은행이 공포에 떨고 있다? | 정구태 대표
815 Money Talk (815머니톡) · Jan 19
6:01:30
[26.01.19. 오후 방송 전체보기] 환율 급등의 범인 공개 “외국인 아니다”
3PRO TV (삼프로TV) · Jan 19

This Bloomberg Markets video, published January 19, 2026, features Kristalina Georgieva discussing AI-SECTOR, Venezuela, Ukraine. 3 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Kristalina Georgieva  · Tickers: AI-SECTOR, Venezuela, Ukraine