Welcome back to Market Mosaic. In this week's edition, we explore how the multi-model AI is forcing strategic pivots across enterprises and examine the sobering 2.8% global growth forecast and its implications for consumer behaviour, amongst other market indicators and forces.

We are also pleased to share our latest edition in the “Conversations with Market Mosaic” series.

Now, let's proceed to the insights on what has been moving global markets.

— Insights Team, Rwazi

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The multi-model era is shaping AI strategy

The AI ecosystem has transformed. Latest benchmark data shows that no single model dominates across all tasks.

GPT-5 leads in reasoning and agentic tasks, Grok 4 dominates coding, while DeepSeek and Qwen close the performance gap at one-hundredth of the cost.

We have entered the multi-model era, where success depends on building orchestration layers that route tasks to the most appropriate model.

The competitive moat has shifted from raw computational power to three critical assets: proprietary data for customisation, trust and reliability in deployment, and distribution channels that reach users seamlessly.

Economic growth forecast dims in the light of trade tensions

The IMF has downgraded global economic growth to 2.8% for 2025 and 3% for 2026, down from 3.3% previously. Advanced economies face particularly challenging conditions, with growth slowing to just 1.4% in 2025.

The United States decelerates from 2.8% in 2024 to 1.8% in 2025, while Germany projects zero growth and France slows to 0.6%.

India remains the fastest-growing large economy at 6.2% despite its downgrade, while China moderates to 4%. Mexico faces a contraction of 0.3% in 2025, reflecting vulnerability to U.S. trade policy shifts.

Metaverse now redefining entertainment and identity in South Korea

South Korea's K-pop industry shows how the metaverse is challenging cultural production. Virtual idols, operated by artists in motion sensor suits, have built massive followings while concealing their true identities. These digital performers exist in constant availability, streaming and engaging without physical limitations.

The economics are compelling. Our data analysis shows 43% of Gen Z in South Korea now follow at least one virtual idol, with merchandise sales growing 156% year-over-year and virtual concert attendance surging 203%.

However, constant online presence exposes them to hypercharged doxxing attempts and cyberbullying.

Lithium's boom-bust cycle leaves communities stranded

Latin America's "lithium triangle" faces economic hardship as prices plummet 80% from 2022 peaks and EV demand slows. Mining towns that thrived on foreign investment now struggle with surging unemployment and business closures.

Our data analysis from affected regions shows 73% of households report declining incomes, while consumer spending has contracted by 34%.

The promised diversification failed to materialise, leaving towns vulnerable to commodity price swings.

Meanwhile, China has used the downturn to consolidate control over lithium supply chains, acquiring distressed assets at favourable terms.

In this edition of "Conversations with Market Mosaic", we sit down with Andrew Dremin, a Senior Retail & E-commerce Leader with deep expertise in the forces shaping the digital retail.

🟣 Market Mosaic: Pricing in retail and e-commerce keeps changing fast. What's one big shift you've noticed in how brands are approaching pricing today?

🟢 Andrew Dremin: The days of "set-it-and-forget-it" pricing are over. Modern retail, perfected by Amazon, now runs on intelligent, AI-powered dynamic pricing. Amazon's algorithms famously change millions of prices daily, but the AI has evolved far beyond just tracking rivals.

New systems, including Generative AI, now predict demand and analyse your specific browsing behaviour to find the perfect price at the perfect moment. This lets Amazon strategically slash prices on popular items to look like the low-price leader, while quietly protecting profits on everything else.

The impact is huge: recent data shows this level of AI personalisation can boost revenue by up to 40%.

Spotting trends is easy. Acting on them before your competitors do, that’s the challenge.

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Before You Go…

Leaving already? Not so fast. Our published data stories are packed with the kind of actionable insights you will wish you’d seen sooner:

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• How AI Agents are shaping finance and accounting for businesses

• Nvidia’s AI chip monopoly is cracking amid rising competitors in 2025