Devex Pro Weekender: ChatGPT insults aid worker and a development leader returns

Drum roll please … I have an exciting announcement to make. In a few weeks, we’ll be launching a new and improved Weekender! As many of you have noticed, over the past year, we’ve been working hard to revamp the newsletter to ensure it’s as valuable for our Pro readers as possible — packed to the brim each week with insider tidbits and industry news. Now, we’re finishing off the revamp with a brand new design, which we’ll be launching in a couple of weeks. Before then, I’m taking some time off, so you’ll be hearing from my brilliant colleagues Anna Gawel and Dave Ainsworth while I’m away. I’ll see you again soon with our dazzling new Weekender! Coming up: There’s just one day left to sign up for our next Pro event, where you’ll be able to put all your burning questions to a veritable expert on USAID acquisition and assistance, and learn how to increase your chances of winning contracts. After that, we’re bringing together a high-level panel for a briefing on UNGA 79 and the Summit of the Future. Get up to speed on everything you need to know before the biggest United Nations event of the year and hear expert insight from new Center for Global Development President Rachel Glennerster, the International Crisis Group’s U.N. Director Richard Gowan, and the U.N. Foundation’s senior director Julie Garfieldt Kofoed. Also in today’s edition: Growing salaries at British International Investment, Minouche Shafik returns to development, and WHO Africa gets ready to nominate its next director. Bits and pieces Tough gig. Love or money? It’s an age-old dilemma — but a growing number of staff members at the U.K.’s development finance institution apparently don’t need to choose between the two. British International Investment’s latest accounts show that 75 staff members earned more than £250,000 ($323,000) in 2023, an increase of about a third from the year before. More staff members are also earning even higher figures — five people earned more than £400,000 in 2023, up from just one person the year before. But in an interview with Devex, BII’s outgoing CEO Nick O’Donohoe said his staff members were motivated by their desire to make a difference, rather than by the size of the salaries. In fact, he said, “Almost everybody here could earn more money somewhere else in the City [London’s financial district], but they come here because they care about the mission.” That may be so, but it sounds like a win-win for love and money to me. Back to business. Development heavyweight Minouche Shafik quit as president of Columbia University last week after facing heavy criticism over the handling of student protests — and it seems she was offered a way out with an opportunity to return to development. Shafik, who once served as the top civil servant at the U.K.’s now-defunct Department for International Development before changing tack to work in universities in 2016, will be leading a review of U.K. development cooperation. “I am honored to have been asked by the UK’s Foreign Secretary to chair a review of the government’s approach to international development and how to improve capability,” she wrote in her resignation letter. “I am very pleased and appreciative that this will afford me the opportunity to return to work on fighting global poverty and promoting sustainable development.” As my colleague Rob Merrick noted, however, there seem to be some uncertainties around what this will entail. Nonetheless, it's hopefully good news for the sector, indicating that the government intends to spend some time revitalizing its development work after a tough few years for U.K. aid. Slow uptake. AI is all the rage, with seemingly endless discussions about how it could transform global development, for better or worse. But is anyone actually using it? Not really, according to a survey by the U.K. Charity Commission. Just 3% of trustees said their charity had so far used artificial intelligence for its operations; even among big charities with incomes of more than £5 million, the figure only rose to 8%. The few charities that are making use of it are mostly using it for drafting web content and communications, and sometimes for drafting internal documents and research. But there’s so much more that AI can do! Find out more in our recent Pro event, a practical guide to AI for global development professionals. Roast my profile. Of course, AI can also humble you, as people have been finding out over the past couple of weeks by asking ChatGPT to “roast” their social media profiles. The Norwegian Refugee Council’s Kamel Alsaadi tried it out on LinkedIn — and it was quick to pick up on the short-term nature of his humanitarian work. “Your profile reads like the Avengers of the humanitarian sector — lots of action, intense teamwork, and saving the day one project at a time,” ChatGPT told him. “But let's be honest, you've been in so many roles that your LinkedIn page probably gets tired just trying to keep up.” If you could do with some humbling yourself, head to ChatGPT and ask it to roast your LinkedIn profile — and feel free to share it with me if you can bear it. If we get enough good roasts I’ll share them here. ✉️ Do you have insights into any of this week’s bits and pieces? Let me know by replying to this email. Moving on Andrés Abad Rodríguez is the new head of technology delivery and operations at Gavi. Kelly Warfield has joined the Sabin Vaccine Institute as president of R&D. Last week, I told you that Mary-Ann Etiebet was leaving Merck after nearly eight years. Now I can tell you where she’s going — she’s taking over as president and CEO of Vital Strategies, a global public health organization. Did we miss one? Is there a change on the horizon? Let us know at devexpro@devex.com. Pro must-reads Catch up on some of the best stories from the week. • Where is Kamala Harris on US foreign aid? For the last three and a half years, Kamala Harris has been in President Joe Biden's shadow — but that doesn't mean she's a blank slate. • Women in leadership won’t solve development’s equality problem. From the challenges of parenthood to entrenched traditional systems, climbing the development ladder for women can be "death by a thousand cuts." • Global LGBTQ+ orgs lose out in Open Society’s restructuring. The Open Society Foundations’ new operating model is built to seize opportunities. But LGBTQ+ rights advocates worry it is severing a vital funding lifeline. • What happens if there is no longer an exceptional AIDS response? There is a push to integrate HIV treatment and prevention alongside other health services. But some experts warn about what may be lost in the transition. Job of the week Looking for your next job? Devex Talent Solutions is currently seeking applications for this position: Organization: Value For Good. Role: Human Development Officer. Location: Brussels, Belgium (preferred). Requirements: Knowledge of the global health and life science sectors; ability to provide technical assessment of products for viability; five years relevant professional experience; English and French language skills. Could this be your next job? Apply now via the Devex job board. Up next World Water Week. Those of you working in the WASH sector will be well aware of World Water Week, which is probably the biggest annual conference on the sector’s calendar. As I recently reported, the organization that hosts it — the Stockholm International Water Institute — is making significant job cuts. But this year’s World Water Week is going ahead as planned, starting today, and it is hoped that the event will continue in the future, despite the restructuring. The focus this year is “water cooperation for peace and security.” Aug. 25-29. WHO Africa director. This week’s meeting of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, will include the nomination of the next regional director. These are the four men vying for the job (no women, as I’ve previously reported). Aug. 26-30. Pacific Islands Forum. Pacific leaders are gathering in Tonga this week “to discuss and agree on policies to benefit the people of the Pacific region.” Although the meeting happens every year, the Tongan hosts say they are keen that this edition should spark the move from talk to action. Aug. 26-30. Global Goals. This research conference hosted by Utrecht University in the Netherlands will focus on the “future of the SDGs,” including SDG reform and the role of science. Aug. 29-30. Epidemiology research. Another research conference here — this time the International Conference on Epidemiology and Public Health, which is taking place in Toronto, Canada. It’ll bring together researchers and public health professionals to discuss issues such as disease surveillance, and the impact of the environment on public health. It’s only the second time the conference has taken place. Aug. 29-30.