Our Scans · (LF.10) Reduced Inequalities · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries.

• [New] At a time when conversations around AI are often dominated by concerns about job displacement, security risks, and technological inequality, New Delhi is positioning itself as a country that wants to steer global AI governance toward a more inclusive and sustainable model. Economic Times
• [New] The importance of the LDAN Bill in tackling the inequalities faced by individuals and their families cannot be overstated, and it has the potential to make a real difference for them in Scotland across education, healthcare, and employment. JohnOGroat Journal
• [New] Employers will need to create action plans for gender equality and menopause which will be voluntary until some time in 2027. Small Business UK
• [New] Concerns centred on the risk that AI could deepen global inequality if access to computing, data, power, and financing remains uneven. Digital Watch Observatory
• [New] As the Employment Rights Bill heralds major legislative changes, equality, diversity and inclusion will be critical business drivers in 2026. Champions Speakers
• [New] Legislative work, engagement with the UN on policy development, gender equality, youth engagement, leadership renewal and inter-cooperative collaboration will remain priorities, alongside continued support for cooperatives operating in fragile or crisis-affected contexts. ICA
• [New] Kenyans are already experiencing, or are imminently threatened with, violations of constitutional rights, including the rights to privacy, equality, dignity, freedom from discrimination and fair administrative action, as a result of unregulated AI deployment. iAfrica.com
• [New] Uneven access to AI-enhanced learning could widen inequality, even as productivity improves. Mexico Business
• [New] If used deliberately, AI could expand decision-making tasks currently arrogated to elite experts to a broader swath of workers, improving job quality and moderating inequality. Fortune
• [New] The monopolization of space by large corporations could increase global inequality, and resource extraction on celestial bodies could cause unwanted physical changes with unpredictable consequences. PIR Center
• [New] Income inequality in North Carolina will continue rising in 2026. Business North Carolina
• [New] In 2026, as income inequality widens and housing instability rises, the need for high-opportunity neighborhoods, where every child has a fair shot at a brighter future, has never been more urgent. Purpose Built Communities
• [New] If not, the U.S. risks a tepid recovery, with profits outpacing wage growth by up to fourfold - a scenario that could exacerbate inequality and dampen consumer demand. Northern Trust
• [New] Access Inequality: Elite athletes move to cleaner environments, but grassroots athletes face severe health risks, widening gaps. / India PMF IAS
• [New] The rising prominence of misinformation, cyber insecurity, and inequality in global risk rankings mirrors challenges in Bangladesh, where rapid digital adoption, urbanization, and demographic change coexist with persistent inequity and governance gaps. The Daily Star
• [New] Until internet access inequality improves, the global entrepreneurship divide will continue to limit the role of AI in business operations. PrometAI
• [New] AI is often viewed as a catalyst for widening wealth inequality, but rising wages at the top end of the economic spectrum could spill over to benefit all income levels. Yahoo Finance
• [New] AI could deepen wealth inequality, calling it capitalism's next biggest failure if left unchecked. FTI Strategic Communications
• [New] Inequality is once again identified as the most interconnected global risk over the next decade, fuelling other global risks as the social contract between citizens and government falters under pressure. Insurance-Canada.ca
• [New] As water-intensive data centers expand worldwide, their impact on sanitation, inequality and disease is emerging as a serious and under-examined threat. Al Jazeera
• [New] New inequalities will emerge throughout the world. Valdai Club
• In 2026, nearly one-third of surveyed philanthropy leaders plan to scale back racial equality initiatives, with reductions also planned for environmental justice and gender equality. The Conference Board

Last updated: 16 February 2026