Global inequality was a focal theme at the recent G20 Summit in South Africa.

Between 2000 and 2024, the richest 1% of the world’s people captured 41% of all new wealth, in contrast to just 1% being captured by the bottom half of humanity. One key driver of growing global inequality is the internet and AI, often referred to as the new colonialism. As the world faces the cascading impacts of AI and climate disruption, new approaches to share resources and provide a just and secure future for all are urgent.

The new APSF Quarterly Report on Economic Security titled, “Money, Money, Money: It’s a rich man’s world” explores the links between the economy and human security.

AI, Economic Security and the New Colonial Question

Niusha Shafiabady is Associate Professor and Head of Discipline for IT at Australian Catholic University. She is an internationally recognised expert in computational intelligence, artificial intelligence, and optimisation, with more than two decades of experience bridging academia and industry.

Towards a more just and secure future with Universal Basic Services

Quentin Grafton is an UNESCO Chairholder in Water Economics and Transboundary Water Governance and was an ARC Laureate Fellow (2020-2025). He is an environmental/resource economist who has specialised and published in the areas of water economics, management and policy; resilience; food-energy-water nexus.

Moderator

Michael Walker is Social Justice Facilitator at the Justice and Peace Office in the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. He is a founding board member of the Australian Peace and Security Forum and previous contributor to the APSF Quarterly Report.

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