Headlines

Big stories about pressing global problems

H5N1 watch: Prediction markets are trading at 9% for a 2024 human-to-human outbreak of the deadly, highly contagious virus. Disease researchers are calling for measurement and preparation. - Metaculus; NPR

Recently-announced US Presidential candidate Kamala Harris expressed strong interest in tackling security risks from advanced AI, including catastrophic cyberattacks and biological weapons - Transformer

Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone announced a roll-out of malaria vaccines targeting millions of children - WHO

Quick wins

High-impact opportunities for the summer slowdown

Want to provide live strategy consulting for high-impact nonprofits during your lunch break? Consider volunteering with Agile for Good.

For our readers at Accenture, Bain, BCG, Deloitte, or 9+ other firms, meeting like-minded colleagues might be one click away. Find your workplace group!

Test your Fermi estimation skills with the August Estimation Game. This month's ten questions are about extreme numbers.

Compare your current giving portfolio against your risk appetite and preferred decision theories with these new tools from Rethink Priorities.

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Industry updates

What's happening in the world of corporate consulting

The US Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether McKinsey, Accenture, and 6 finance and technology firms use AI to conduct "surveillance pricing," in which prices may change based on individuals' user data - WSJ, archived version

McKinsey, Bain, and Boston Consulting Group appear to be reducing hiring, tightening performance reviews and encouraging voluntary departures -Poets & Quants, archived version

New Bain CEO Christophe De Vusser announces Bain will operate "less frequently" in "sensitive industries" in China, following last year's police raid on their Shanghai offices - FT, archived version

Revenue shares for strategy consulting dropped from 17% in 2010 to 10% in 2023 - FT, archived version

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Deep dives

A closer look at complex, critical topics

Research and development for neglected diseases returns $405 for every dollar spent - Policy Cures Research

"AI Ruined My Year:" Catch up on a year's worth of significant milestones in AI safety and development in 2023 - Robert Miles AI Safety

"Risk and Reward: The 2024 AI Assurance Technology Market Report"is a first-of-its-kind market sizing report on the burgeoning, global AI Assurance Technology (AIAT) market from CFI member Josh Williams (Accenture)

Launching and growing effective charities is hard. Global charity incubator Ambitious Impact (formerly Charity Entrepreneurship) has condensed years of experience into a new how-to guide. Get a free copy.

‍10 technologies that won't exist in 5 years, a fascinating public health issue analysis by Jacob Trefethen

Coming up

Block your calendar for these events

• Fill out an expression of interest for our Fall Retreat in New York City (November 8-10, in-person)
• High-impactentrepreneurship incubator interest sessions with Ambitious Impact: Nonprofit (August 6 + 22) and for-profit (August 25)
• AI Governance Research Sprint, London Initiative for Safe AI (August 10, in-person)
• Career Impact Workshop: How to find a role that really makes a difference,Probably Good (August 13, virtual)
• Building Your Alt Protein Career,Good Food Institute (September 10, virtual)
• Cambridge Conference on Catastrophic Risk 2024,Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, (September 17-18, in-person)
• EAGxBerkeley,Centre for Effective Altruism (September 7-8, in-person)
• CARE Conference on Animal Rights in Europe, Anima International (September 12-15, hybrid in Warsaw/online)
• OODAcon 2024: Convergence,OODA (November 6, in-person in Reston, VA)

Jobs

Your three-year transition plan just got a lot shorter

Career moves

Members taking off to tackle critical global problems

• Anam Vadgama (Eraneos) and Sai Uttej (Bain) will be joining the next cohort of Ambitious Impact's Charity Entrepreneurship Incubation Program
• Emily Dardaman(BCG) has joined our team at Consultants for Impact as Content Lead and Career Advisor
• Frankie Fredericks (Accenture) started as Executive Director of One for the World
• Matt Wang (Bain) started as a Research Operations Analyst at GiveWell
• Mick Yang (BCG) is starting a Master's in Computer Science at University of Pennsylvania to deepen his AI safety expertise
• Tim Shavers (McKinsey) officially joined cFactual as a Senior Advisor and Strategy fellow