IMF Chief Urges AI Guardrails at Bangkok Meeting IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva calls for urgent AI guardrails, comparing the technology to a Formula 1 race car that could go off track and harm people. BANGKOK (AP) — Guardrails are urgently needed to contain potential risks from the boom in artificial intelligence, the head of the International Monetary Fund said Friday at the IMF and World Bank Group annual meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, likening the technology to a Formula 1 race car that might go off the track and run people over. IMF Chief Warns on AI RisksIMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the world is racing ahead with AI but lacks barriers to prevent harm. She noted high respect for the industry and its potential gift to humanity, but cautioned that if the car runs over people, that gift may not be worthwhile.Georgieva spoke on a panel about AI's impact on the world economy alongside experts including Anthropic co-founder and head of policy Jack Clark. Clark is among technology industry leaders pushing for faster action on regulating AI.In a blog post last month, Anthropic, a rival to OpenAI, proposed that the world's top AI developers come up with a coordinated way to pause development of advanced AI systems, warning the technology is improving so quickly there is a risk humans would lose control.Clark said the situation is worse than described, likening it to Formula 1 at night without brakes in the cars. He remarked that it is remarkable that toys he buys for his children are regulated more than the superintelligence he works on at his day job.He added that the world is now taking AI risks seriously and that if taken seriously, it can be managed. But he stressed it cannot only be companies making these decisions, and that negligence would lead to chaos.IMF Study Shows AI Job TrendsThe impact of AI on jobs is yet to be fully understood, but an IMF study found three main trends. About 10% of jobs might be transformed or newly created, while work involving repetitive tasks will be gone, Georgieva said.The third category will be service sector jobs generated by people who benefit from the investment boom. Georgieva gave the example of young people who normally would have gone into professional routine jobs now serving coffee in Starbucks, which she said is not what young people in the world aspire for.Tiff Macklem, the governor of the Bank of Canada, compared that to the effects on employment from more open trade, which has generated great global wealth and raised millions out of poverty. But many millions also lost their livelihoods as manufacturers moved jobs to China and other developing countries.Macklem said that in aggregate there is an overall benefit, but acknowledged that in both trade and technology there will be winners and losers. He emphasized that a way must be found to help the losers, and without a system to help them cope with the loss, there will be a backlash.Protests Highlight Inequality ConcernsDozens of people marched in Bangkok on Thursday and Friday in peaceful protests, seeking to draw attention to growing inequality and other frustrations. The demonstrations targeted the IMF and World Bank Group meetings.Georgieva noted that to ensure the benefits of AI can reach the maximum number of people, they have to have electricity and access to digital networks. Cybersecurity also is essential.During the wide-ranging session, the speakers were also asked about how they used AI in their own lives. Georgieva said she had used it to track calories and lose weight. The IMF chief, who has described her personal AI assistant as bossy, joked that she would like AI agents to be more polite.She said the agents can be really annoying and suggested working on their manners. The panel highlighted the need for urgent action to regulate AI and address its economic and social impacts.