Businesses
Jeremy Rifkin Predicts AI and 3D Printing Could Transform Global Manufacturing and Trade by 2050
10 Nov 2026
In his new book, Rescuing the Future, economist and author Jeremy Rifkin argues that AI-powered 3D printing could reshape global supply chains, reduce dependence on international shipping and create new opportunities for small businesses through decentralised production.
10 November 2026 – Economist and bestselling author Jeremy Rifkin has outlined a vision for the future of manufacturing in which artificial intelligence and 3D printing could transform how products are designed, produced and distributed worldwide.
In an excerpt from his new book, Rescuing the Future: Reimagining Artificial Intelligence in a World on the Edge, Rifkin argues that traditional manufacturing could gradually give way to a more decentralised production system he calls additive infofacturing.
The concept describes a shift from transporting finished goods across international supply chains towards transmitting digital design files that allow products to be manufactured closer to the customers who need them.
Rifkin believes this transition could reduce transportation costs, change the economics of international trade and create new opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
His argument comes amid continuing debates about international tariffs, supply chain resilience and the growing role of AI in industrial production.
From Traditional Manufacturing to AI-Powered Infofacturing
Conventional manufacturing has historically depended on centralised production facilities, extensive supply networks and the transportation of finished goods between countries.
Subtractive manufacturing, in which material is cut or removed to create a finished component, remains widely used in industrial production.
Additive manufacturing takes a different approach, constructing objects layer by layer from digital designs. Technologies such as industrial 3D printing already support production in aerospace, healthcare, automotive engineering and construction.
Rifkin believes AI could accelerate this transition by helping businesses improve product designs, manage production processes and adapt manufacturing to local requirements.
In his proposed model, companies would distribute digital instructions to local production facilities instead of shipping every finished product from a central factory.
These facilities could then manufacture items closer to their final destination, reducing the distance between production and consumption.
Rifkin describes the change as a move from global seller–buyer markets towards distributed provider–user networks.
The approach could also allow companies to manufacture certain products on demand, reducing the need for extensive inventories and long-distance transportation.
However, not every product can be manufactured economically through 3D printing. Material availability, equipment costs, production speed and quality requirements will continue to influence which industries adopt the technology.
Could 3D Printing Reduce Dependence on Global Supply Chains?
One of Rifkin's central arguments concerns the potential effect of decentralised manufacturing on international trade.
In the book excerpt, he estimates that global logistics costs reached approximately $12.8 trillion in 2024, equivalent to 11.6% of global GDP.
He argues that transmitting digital design files and producing goods locally could reduce some of the transportation and distribution expenses associated with moving physical products internationally.
Rifkin also suggests that the expansion of additive manufacturing could reduce certain categories of physical trade by as much as 40% by 2040.
This is a forward-looking scenario presented in his argument, rather than an independently established forecast of global trade volumes.
The potential implications extend to tariffs. Digital designs can be transmitted across borders without the same physical shipping arrangements required for finished products, although intellectual property rules, digital trade regulations, local taxes and customs treatment would still apply according to the jurisdiction.
Manufacturers would also continue to depend on internationally sourced materials, equipment and components.
Nevertheless, local production could offer advantages for businesses facing expensive shipping routes or disruptions to international supply chains.
Rifkin argues that ports and logistics centres could adapt by converting existing facilities into regional production hubs equipped with advanced manufacturing technology.
3D-Printed Housing Demonstrates the Potential of Local Production
Rifkin highlights the work of Italian architect Mario Cucinella as an example of how additive manufacturing can support new construction methods.
Cucinella's architectural practice collaborated with Italian 3D printing company WASP to create TECLA, an experimental house constructed using locally sourced raw earth.
Completed in 2021 in Massa Lombarda, Italy, the project used two synchronised 3D printers to construct the building's main structure.
The approximately 60-square-metre home required around 200 hours of printing and used roughly 60 cubic metres of natural material.
The project demonstrated how digitally controlled construction equipment could create a building using materials sourced near the construction site.
Rifkin argues that similar approaches could eventually allow architects and developers to distribute building designs internationally while relying on local manufacturers to construct them.
Under such a model, designers could generate revenue through licensing their digital plans rather than overseeing the physical production of every building.
The TECLA project remains an experimental example, and its results should not be interpreted as proof that all housing can be produced through 3D printing at lower cost.
Yet it illustrates how digital design and automated construction may create opportunities for new business models in architecture and building development.
Why Small Businesses Could Benefit From Distributed Manufacturing
Rifkin believes the transition could create opportunities for SMEs by reducing some of the capital and distribution requirements associated with conventional manufacturing.
A company developing a specialised product could potentially license its design to production facilities in different countries, avoiding the need to establish factories in every market.
Local manufacturers could then produce the items according to agreed specifications, supporting shorter supply chains and more flexible production volumes.
The model could also create opportunities for businesses providing digital design services, industrial software, specialised materials and equipment maintenance.
Rifkin points to established companies including Airbus, Siemens, Volkswagen, Boeing, Medtronic, General Electric, Caterpillar and BASF as examples of major industrial groups developing additive manufacturing capabilities.
However, the technology also presents challenges for smaller companies.
Industrial-grade 3D printers can require substantial investment, while production may depend on specialised materials, trained operators and strict quality controls.
Protecting intellectual property is another concern when commercially valuable product designs are distributed digitally.
SMEs seeking to participate in this market will therefore need to consider both the potential savings and the technical requirements involved.
Jeremy Rifkin Envisions a More Decentralised AI Economy
Rifkin's argument forms part of a wider discussion in Rescuing the Future about how artificial intelligence could influence economic organisation and the relationship between technology and the natural environment.
He contrasts AI systems controlled primarily by large corporations with a more distributed approach in which communities, businesses and regional networks use technology to manage local resources and production.
Rifkin refers to this alternative as a People's AI, arguing that decentralised infrastructure could allow communities to play a greater role in technological and economic development.
His proposed transition would extend beyond manufacturing to influence energy systems, logistics, urban development and the organisation of business networks.
The broader vision remains speculative, particularly in its predictions about the pace at which additive manufacturing might displace established industrial methods.
Still, the underlying technologies are already being applied in sectors where customised products, complex geometries and localised production offer commercial advantages.
For businesses, the question is how rapidly these capabilities can expand beyond specialised industrial applications.
As AI-assisted design and additive manufacturing continue developing, companies may find new opportunities to shorten supply chains, collaborate with regional production partners and build business models around digital designs.
Whether this leads to the transformation Rifkin anticipates by 2050 will depend on manufacturing economics, technological progress and the ability of distributed production networks to compete with established industrial systems.
About Jeremy Rifkin
Jeremy Rifkin is an American economist, social theorist and bestselling author whose work examines technological change, economic transformation and environmental sustainability.
He has written 25 books, translated into more than 35 languages, and has advised political and business leaders on issues involving energy, infrastructure and economic development.
His latest book, Rescuing the Future: Reimagining Artificial Intelligence in a World on the Edge, was published by Polity in September 2026.
The book explores the relationship between AI, ecological systems, decentralised infrastructure and the future of economic organisation.
Official website: https://foet.org/
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Sara Srifi
Sara is a Software Engineering and Business student with a passion for astronomy, cultural studies, and human-centered storytelling. She explores the quiet intersections between science, identity, and imagination, reflecting on how space, art, and society shape the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. Her writing draws on curiosity and lived experience to bridge disciplines and spark dialogue across cultures.
