• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • Career
    • Career Trends

    AI in global development: What professionals need to know

    As the likes of ChatGPT enter the workplace, what does this mean for the skill sets required of development professionals? Experts explain how knowledge of AI can be built in a way that will benefit their work.

    By Rebecca L. Root // 07 August 2023
    Artificial intelligence is increasingly being implemented in workplace settings around the world as a means of enhancing operations and generating further impact. Global development is no different, experts say, and that means some within the space will have to gain a level of knowledge around its potential use cases and the ethics in implementing such technology. “Because generative AI usage in the foreseeable future will become commonplace, nonprofits will likewise have to adapt, adopt, internalize, and find those uses for the technology that make sense for their model of service, their programs and operations, and most importantly, their mission,” Lance Pierce, the CEO of NetHope, an organization that connects nonprofits with technology innovators, said in an email. AI, according to IBM, is the use of technology to emulate human problem-solving and decision-making capabilities. Generative AI, such as the online chatbot ChatGPT, is a type of AI that generates data using certain algorithms. Already, many NGOs and United Nations agencies are using AI in a variety of forms whether it be to conduct research on hunger levels, enhance disaster response, predict climate impacts of agriculture, or write grant proposals. “Being aware of some of those tools, how they work, and what some of the risks are is very important,” said Nora Lindstrom, the senior director of ICT4D at Catholic Relief Services. But as it stands, Pierce believes the sector lacks the capabilities to fully take advantage of AI. “Overall, the sector struggles to have sufficient capacity to lean into AI and to find the right kinds of applications for individual organizations, and to go from there to scaling them up,” he said. While consultants with AI expertise from outside the sector could be brought in, the capacity to develop and deploy AI tools need to come from within organizations, said Vilas Dhar, president of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, which explores how advances in information and technology can improve quality of life. “Funders need to come together … to support increased training and hiring of AI first talent inside of organizations,” he said. Data.org and PJMF in their Workforce Wanted report called for an investment over the next 10 years in 3.5 million data professionals who would be focused on social impact in lower-income countries. “Nonprofits need to begin understanding and supporting the creation of new talent pools like this,” Dhar said. With this in mind, Devex asked various professionals how global development workers, both new and existing, can begin building knowledge around AI in a way that benefits the sector as well as their careers. Know when and when not to use AI The first step for professionals is to understand data and data systems and then move into understanding how they could be used with AI, Lindstrom said. “We should be asking ‘How can AI capacities help us reimagine strategy?’” Dhar said. “The possibilities of AI-powered strategies are almost limitless. From real-time inventory management for vaccine delivery and disaster response to mechanisms for direct citizen participation, AI unlocks new ways of driving social impact.” But that doesn’t mean it should be implemented simply because it can be. “AI is of course like any other tool; it should only be used when it’s the right tool for the job,” Pierce said. To help professionals assess when this is, NetHope has developed an AI Suitability Framework for Nonprofits that helps organizations consider whether the problem they are trying to solve lends itself to using AI, anticipate any issues that might arise, and ensure that all involved are aware of how technologies might affect them. At the U.N. Development Programme, Keyzom Ngodup Massally, the head of digital programming at the agency’s chief digital office, shared that it uses an AI readiness assessment to evaluate at the country level what the opportunities and potential gaps for AI are. Professionals could use such resources to become more familiar with when an AI option might be viable and when other solutions might work best. Consider the ethics around AI As with any form of technology, the implementation of AI comes with considerations around privacy, data rights, and inequities. “How do we protect people, empower people, and provide them the right information, vis-à-vis privacy, data ownership, and so on, especially when we're talking about a population segment that's highly marginalized, has limited connectivity, or has limited digital skills?” Massally asked. This will require certain individuals, said Juan Lavista Ferres, the vice president, chief scientist and lab director at Microsoft AI for Good Research Lab, within an organization to have an understanding of principles of fair and transparent AI, privacy, and other ethical considerations. It’s also important that any technology doesn’t exacerbate existing inequalities. “Because AI relies so heavily on data, and because datasets are frequently biased in ways that are not immediately apparent, a wholesale, uncritical approach to using AI can produce results that can unintentionally exacerbate inequality or that paint a prejudiced picture of the situation you are trying to understand,” Pierce explained. ChatGPT, for example, and facial recognition AI can have biases and inaccuracies. Acknowledging there are issues with accuracy, reliability, privacy, and biases, Lindstrom said that CRS has set up a community of practice on generative AI and has issued internal guidance for its use. To mitigate against potential vulnerabilities, Dhar suggested working with ethicists and responsible AI professionals to build the principles on which an organization is willing to deploy AI, while Steffen Kølbek, the global head of IT at the Danish Refugee Council, said they “recommend people go to the solutions and ask them to highlight or identify risks with use of their technologies.” NetHope also has an AI Ethics for Nonprofits toolkit that aims to support development and humanitarian practitioners to optimize for fairness in AI systems and mitigate the risk of bias while UNITAR offers a free online course on defending human rights in the age of AI. Learn from other use cases of AI Development professionals can look to other organizations that have successfully implemented AI in projects and operations and ask about the lessons they have learned and whether there's an opportunity to build on the work already being done. The World Food Programme, for example, has been working with Google AI to use satellite imaging and machine learning algorithms to generate accurate information following a disaster while a chatbot in South Africa, developed by Girl Effect, responds to questions about sexual health. “Adopt new forms of collaboration that share data and share algorithmic design between similarly situated development actors,” Dhar suggested. The likes of CRS, Plan International, and Mapping Ocean Wealth have already shared some of their experiences publicly, while International Telecommunication Union’s AI for Good digital platform allows people to learn from each other when it comes to practical AI solutions to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. NetHope, said Kølbek, who works for DRC, also facilitates exchanges at the chief information officer level. But there are also lessons that can be learned from the private sector which has been at the forefront of AI development, Dhar said. DRC for example has worked with IBM on predictive analytics, Kølbek said. And Microsoft is working with various humanitarian agencies as part of its AI for Humanitarian Action project. It also has a Skills for AI initiative with a specific iteration focused on nonprofits. Such NGO experimentation with technology is important because nonprofit fundraising models are increasingly digital, Pierce said. “Regardless of where you work in a nonprofit, you care about raising funding in new ways, and you care about innovation that helps you with delivering your programs more effectively, or both. AI is going to power those new resources and that kind of innovation.”

    Artificial intelligence is increasingly being implemented in workplace settings around the world as a means of enhancing operations and generating further impact. Global development is no different, experts say, and that means some within the space will have to gain a level of knowledge around its potential use cases and the ethics in implementing such technology.

    “Because generative AI usage in the foreseeable future will become commonplace, nonprofits will likewise have to adapt, adopt, internalize, and find those uses for the technology that make sense for their model of service, their programs and operations, and most importantly, their mission,” Lance Pierce, the CEO of NetHope, an organization that connects nonprofits with technology innovators, said in an email.  

    AI, according to IBM, is the use of technology to emulate human problem-solving and decision-making capabilities. Generative AI, such as the online chatbot ChatGPT, is a type of AI that generates data using certain algorithms.

    This article is exclusively for Career Account members.

    Unlock this article now with a 15-day free trial of a Devex Career Account. With a Career Account subscription you will get:

    • Full access to our jobs board, including over 1,000 exclusive jobs
    • Your Devex profile highlighted in recruiter search results
    • Connections to recruiters and industry experts through online and live Devex events
    Start my 15-day free trial
    Already a user? Sign in
    • Careers & Education
    • Innovation & ICT
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

    About the author

    • Rebecca L. Root

      Rebecca L. Root

      Rebecca L. Root is a freelance reporter for Devex based in Bangkok. Previously senior associate & reporter, she produced news stories, video, and podcasts as well as partnership content. She has a background in finance, travel, and global development journalism and has written for a variety of publications while living and working in Bangkok, New York, London, and Barcelona.

    Search for articles

    Related Jobs

    • Junior Support Engineer Intern (Rwanda Citizens or Permanent Residents only)
      Kigali, Rwanda | Rwanda | Central Africa
    • Digital Change Facilitator
      Namur, Belgium | Belgium | Western Europe
    • Individual Consultant: Trainer for Gender Equality and Mainstreaming in Low-Carbon Transition in Automobile Sector
      India | South Asia
    • See more

    Most Read

    • 1
      Opinion: Mobile credit, savings, and insurance can drive financial health
    • 2
      FCDO's top development contractors in 2024/25
    • 3
      Strengthening health systems by measuring what really matters
    • 4
      Opinion: India’s bold leadership in turning the tide for TB
    • 5
      Reigniting momentum for maternal, newborn, and child health

    Trending

    Financing for Development Conference

    The Trump Effect

    Newsletters

    Related Stories

    Artificial intelligenceAI in development recruitment: Time-saver or barrier to inclusion?

    AI in development recruitment: Time-saver or barrier to inclusion?

    Artificial intelligenceOpinion: Africa's AI future hinges on youth investment

    Opinion: Africa's AI future hinges on youth investment

    Career ExplorerWhat development pros need to know about fisheries and aquaculture

    What development pros need to know about fisheries and aquaculture

    Artificial intelligenceExclusive: Donors commit $10M to include African languages in AI models

    Exclusive: Donors commit $10M to include African languages in AI models

    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement
    We use cookies to help improve your user experience. By using our site, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Policy.