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] AI could significantly impact nearly 40% of jobs worldwide, presenting both opportunities and risks for income growth and inequality. AdvisorAnalyst.com
• [New] Women are retiring with far smaller pensions than men because of pay inequalities and the fact they are shouldering the burden of care and the mental load, a study by the University of Edinburgh has warned. The Money Pages
• [New] Conflict and inequality pathways ... could expose more than 1.1 billion people - mostly in Africa and Asia - to at least one severe food crisis by century's end. Insurance Journal
• [New] AI could worsen societal inequality and unemployment if left unchecked, calling for government intervention to ensure everyone benefits from AI development. Built In
• [New] Projections using a machine-learning model, trained on historical socioeconomic and water-resources data, reveal the impact of inequality on water security and predict that, by 2100, 63% of the global population could face severe water scarcity. Nature
• [New] Warming beyond 1.5 °C will cause irreversible damage, displacement, and deepen global inequality. Reynold Sumayku
• [New] Projected employment growth for 2026: 0.5% in upper-middle-income countries; 1.8% in lower-middle-income economies; 3.1% in low-income countries; Weak labour productivity in poorer regions is widening global inequalities. Current Affairs - NEXT IAS
• [New] The AFB will establish a fund of $7 million per year to provide core support for national gender equality organizations working on advocacy, research, education, policy analysis, and legal reform to advance the rights of women and gender-diverse people. CCPA
• [New] From career growth to family life, Canada's global reputation is built on a strong foundation of safety, equality, and opportunity. ICC Immigration Inc
• [New] The vision of Thailand's WPS NAP is clear and ambitious: gender equality is a key driving force in preventing and resolving conflict and in addressing threats to human security, ultimately leading to sustainable peace and development. Peace News Network
• [New] Economic inequality stands out as the most interconnected global risk for the second consecutive year. HRD Canada
• [New] For corporate leaders, global inequality is no longer just a moral or reputational issue; it is a structural driver of cash flows, valuations and operating risk. CEOWORLD Magazine
• [New] AI has the potential to benefit students in their education, but could also exacerbate inequality in educational outcomes, particularly for students from equity backgrounds. Mirage News
• [New] AI revolution benefits (productivity gains, medical breakthroughs, educational tools) will accrue overwhelmingly in the global North, widening inequality rather than bridging it. Tomorrow Is Possible
• In Peru, the organization Lima 2035 is building a holistic three-innovation strategy-equitable water access, local food sovereignty, and reactivating ancient food cultural values-that's a blueprint for how community-led food leadership can transform cities facing deep inequality. Food Tank
• The RCI for relative inequality fell sharply from 47.01% (45.62% -48.40%) in 1990 to 3.96% (3.84% -4.08%) by 2040, showing obesity remains more common in wealthier populations but has become less concentrated over time. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Deloitte Insights stresses the importance of balanced adoption, avoiding overreliance that could exacerbate inequalities. WebProNews
• A new trend report outlines six forces that will reshape Canadian retail in 2026, from nationalism and AI disruption to health, inequality, and tech power. RETAIL INSIDER
• Productivity improvements could worsen income inequality, emphasizing, We need to find ways for the benefits of AI-driven productivity improvements to be shared across society.
• Tech insiders in 2026 reveal AI's dark realities: hallucinations leading to errors, embedded biases perpetuating inequality, exploitative labour, environmental strain, privacy erosion, job displacement, and rising security threats like deepfakes. WebProNews
• AI in 2026 will not be a technological issue: it will be an issue of political inequality. L'Europeista

Last updated: 26 January 2026