AI’s bright spot for trade amid global tensions
AI is transforming global trade—boosting efficiency, reducing costs, and opening new opportunities amid growing geopolitical and regulatory challenges.
Artificial intelligence (AI), is often hailed as a once-in-a-generation technology. For Emmanuelle Ganne, chief of digital trade and frontier technologies at the World Trade Organization (WTO), that description is no exaggeration.
According to Ganne, unlike earlier waves of automation or digitalisation, AI stands apart as a general-purpose technology — one capable of reshaping sectors across the economy simultaneously and on a global scale.
What makes AI so distinct, she explained, is its adaptability. “Unlike most past technologies, which were designed to perform specific tasks, AI can adapt across domains and tasks with unprecedented flexibility and efficiency.”
It is also dynamic: “AI learns and improves by drawing on vast datasets, becoming more accurate and effective as more information becomes available.” This capacity to evolve, she stressed, “creates dynamic shifts in how it is applied, including increasing levels of autonomy.”
Yet with these opportunities come new risks. “Unlike traditional automation, where the logic is explicit and predictable, AI systems often operate in ways that are not easily explainable, raising questions about accountability, bias, and trust.” For her, this is why “ethical and societal concerns feature so prominently in discussions about AI – from fairness and transparency to safety and potential misuse.”
Also read: “AI is not replacing us”: why treasurers are embracing AI on their own terms
Future of AI
While a WTO-ICC survey has found that nine out of ten firms report tangible AI benefits in their trade-related activities, business adoption faces technical, organisation, and regulatory barriers, Ganne added.
“Deploying AI requires appropriate infrastructure, computing power, and access to vast amounts of high-quality data — resources that many companies, especially small businesses, often struggle to secure,” she noted. Even when those resources are available, “lack of in-house expertise, the need to adapt business processes, and uncertainty about the return on investment make AI adoption a complex undertaking.”
Firms also face regulatory and geopolitical challenges when deciding to adopt AI. “Risks associated with AI’s inherent opacity, data privacy and security, and the evolving regulatory landscape weigh heavily on firms’ decisions to adopt AI, particularly in sensitive sectors,” she said.
“Fragmented data governance regimes, trade restrictions on AI-enabling goods and services, and divergent emerging national regulations may explain why many businesses prefer to experiment cautiously rather than commit to large-scale deployment.”
Where adoption is happening, the earliest impact is becoming clear. “According to a business survey that we conducted jointly with the International Chamber of Commerce for the 2025 World Trade Report, main business use cases include automating different workflows and performing analysis of written language.” This means, she added, “that the earliest and most meaningful impacts are likely to be seen in corporate functions such as operations, procurement, customer service, and compliance, where large volumes of routine tasks and unstructured text can be processed more quickly and accurately.”
She pointed to examples: “AI can sift through customer feedback to detect sentiments, flag compliance risks in contracts, or streamline trade documentation. The biggest opportunity, as highlighted in the responses to the survey, lies in improving operational efficiency. When it comes to trade, the survey finds that firms are primarily using AI for market intelligence, compliance, and communication for trade-related activities.”
Also read: AI takes centre stage as treasury teams tackle payment and policy shocks
Looking ahead, the WTO Secretariat’s outlook is optimistic. “AI has the potential to significantly boost productivity, reduce costs, and open new opportunities for firms of all sizes, including small businesses in developing economies. By automating workflows, enhancing logistics, and improving market intelligence, AI can make supply chains more efficient and accessible, while creating new avenues for cross-border trade and innovation.”
But, she warned, the broader societal impact will depend on how challenges are managed. “Issues such as labour market adjustment, data governance, digital connectivity gaps, and geopolitical competition will shape whether AI contributes to inclusive growth or deepens divides.”
For the Organisation, this duality is central. “Amid current tariff tensions, AI stands out as a bright spot for trade and economic growth. With the right enabling policies, artificial intelligence has the potential to significantly lower costs, unlock new opportunities, and drive inclusive economic growth worldwide.”
Emmanuelle Ganne, chief of digital trade and frontier technologies at the World Trade Organization will be speaking at the 34th EuroFinance International Treasury Management in Budapest with Inma Martinez, Technology pioneer and AI advisor to government and public sector on the session AI: the global gamechanger?
“I’m looking forward to sharing the encouraging findings from our report,” she said. Beyond the formal sessions, she added, “I’m excited about the opportunity to exchange ideas, build new connections, and learn from the diverse viewpoints represented at the event.”