Global economy relies on AI for growth

The global economy is increasingly depending on artificial intelligence to drive growth, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projecting that the world's GDP will grow by 3.1% in 2026. This growth is largely supported by investments in AI within advanced economies, according to Kristalina Georgieva, director general of the IMF.

Economic growth varies by region

Among major economies, the United States is expected to grow by 2.3%, while Taiwan and South Korea are projected to grow by 10.7% and 3.3%, respectively. In contrast, France is expected to grow by only 0.4%, significantly lower than its counterparts, despite having a substantial number of data centers.

France's data center investments

France has 350 data centers installed on its soil, with about 850 MW of installed capacity by the end of 2025. This places the country in fourth place in Europe behind the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands. Additional investments, such as SoftBank's promise of 45 billion euros for the construction of three data centers in the Hauts-de-France by 2031, are expected to further develop this sector.

Economic impact of data centers in France

Anthony Morlet-Lavidalie, an economist at Rexecode, stressed the importance of installing computing power, warning that if France does not act in the long term, it may struggle to keep up with the industry's growth. However, the contribution of data centers to French economic growth remains modest, described as "very marginal" by Xavier Timbeau of the OFCE.

Digital investment in France and the US

According to the Insee, the contribution of digital investments to France's growth was estimated at 0.1 points in 2025, with a warning that the statistical reading remains partial. In contrast, the United States has seen a significant increase in digital investment, which represented 7.2% of the GDP in 2025, compared to 5.8% in France.

AI's role in US growth

The OFCE concluded that artificial intelligence mainly supports the growth of the United States, where digital investment contrasts with the situation in other countries covered by their forecast. In the United States, the acceleration of investment in data centers has been dramatic since the end of 2022, tripling by the end of 2025, although its weight in the GDP remains low.

France's potential and challenges

Anthony Morlet-Lavidalie noted that the delay in Europe and especially France compared to the United States is a sign of a lack of ambition, emphasizing the need to go all out in deploying data centers. However, legal challenges against the installation of these large warehouses, especially due to their environmental impact, are increasing.

Employment and productivity trends

In terms of employment, productivity in France has improved significantly, rising by 1.7% per year, compared to 0.85% before 2023. However, this improvement is not necessarily attributed to AI, with the effect possibly being a catch-up after the productivity drop post-Covid. In the United States, employees working closely with AI, such as those specialized in the construction of data centers, have seen their salaries soar up to 300,000 dollars per year, a trend not observed in France.

Future investment and challenges

Rexecode estimates that installed data center capacities could reach 8,000 MW by 2035, representing an investment of over 210 billion euros over ten years. This would generate French added value, mainly through construction, electrical engineering, and associated services, with a direct added value of the industry reaching 13 billion euros constant by 2035, about 0.4% of French GDP. However, convincing stakeholders to achieve this will be necessary, especially those who denounce the dominance of hyperscalers like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft over French data centers and the risk to national sovereignty.