The World Bank has raised its growth forecast for the East Asia and Pacific region to 4.5% this year, up 0.3 percentage point from its April projection, citing strong artificial intelligence-related exports. However, the bank warned that the region's heavy reliance on the AI boom leaves it vulnerable to a potential global tech spending reversal, with trade growth outside AI-related goods being "weak or negative." The report, released Tuesday, highlighted that AI-related capital expenditure has reached about 6% of U.S. GDP, similar to the 2000 peak in IT investment, and noted risks in less transparent private credit financing for AI.