MOVED to @techladylaura.bsky.social

Washington, DC
Joined September 2008
Nowhere feels safe. Fear, panic, saying goodbye without knowing if it’s the last time. Every call or message carries one question: are they safe? The reality for many in #Lebanon today. Mariam & her family survived. But nothing feels the same. Some days don’t end, they stay.
4
88
10
181
40,141
It was a privilege to represent the @ICRC @ICRC_dc debating the role & limits of human agency in AI-enabled warfare with @OpentoDebateOrg last month. we took a scary, heady topic out of boomer/doomer hype and into practical opportunities & challenges, and what the law really says
Wartime Kill Switch: Human or AI? Watch the Urgent Debate Now. As warfare grows more automated and driven by AI, the question of who, or what, should have ultimate control over lethal decision-making systems has never been more urgent. Arguing "Human": @elliotackerman & @techladylaura Arguing "AI": @mchorowitz & Jack Shanahan Moderated by @JohnDonvan. Presented in partnership with @CFR_org. Photo credit: Melanie Einzig. Watch now on YouTube, or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. youtu.be/qRKonocyGXs
1
1
1
408
That week, our Chief Legal Officer @CDroegeICRC intervened at the UN Security Council on this very topic. Watch her intervention here youtu.be/ZO8f7Nlp-Ng?si=q4R0… and read it here icrc.org/en/statement/we-can…
1
42
We kicked off #AIUnlocked with discussions ranging from the power of digital provenance, how #AI is transforming industries, understanding the cyber threat environment, and building a culture of rapid innovation. Stay tuned for more fun!
2
3
298
Today! See you at noon.
Pleased to join @JeanneMeserve and a fantastic panel next Friday, 3 October to share @icrc_dc views on the opportunities and challenges of using AI in crises - like conflicts. 12pm, @AlamoDC (Crystal City) Theater 3
2
52
Pleased to join @JeanneMeserve and a fantastic panel next Friday, 3 October to share @icrc_dc views on the opportunities and challenges of using AI in crises - like conflicts. 12pm, @AlamoDC (Crystal City) Theater 3
We are excited to announce a new set of speakers for the AI+Tech Frontiers Track at #AIUnlocked! Join us on to hear from leaders at the forefront of AI and technology innovation, including: • Greg Hart, CEO of @coursera • Laura Walker McDonald, Senior Advisor at the International Committee of the Red Cross (@ICRC) • Liz Hyman, CEO of the @XRAssociation (XRA) • @davidstout, Co-Founder & CEO of @thewebAI These experts will discuss how cutting-edge technology is shaping everything from education to humanitarian efforts. Stay tuned for more updates and visit our website for registration! scsp.ai/ai-unlocked/
2
1
4
339
For the ICRC’s views on new and emerging technologies used in war, please visit us at icrc.org/en/law-and-policy/n…
1
2
140
Laura WalkerMcDonald retweeted
Over the past decade, cyberattacks have become increasingly more common—and a weapon of choice for bad actors and nation-states worldwide. Thank you to Cyber Ambassador @ncfick, @SwissAmbUSA & Dr. Andrea Harrison of the @ICRC for the conversation on the state of play for cyber.
12
6
2
26
4,204
Laura WalkerMcDonald retweeted
We have assisted the Water Authority in the #Kassala State by supplying centrifugal and submersible pumps and chemical materials for water purification. This support empowers the water authority to deliver clean water to more than 900,000 people. #Sudan
2
12
1
18
2,485
❓What measures must be taken to protect #civilians against the #digital threats of armed conflicts? @ICRC's latest #event focused on a set of #legal and #policy recommendations to address them. 📽️ Missed the event? Watch the event highlights video: bit.ly/ICRCevent_GABdigital
1
2
386
Really glad to contribute to the latest episode of Intercross: The Podcast, wherein we walk through #digitaldilemmas people face in conflict, and @PStollICRC drops some wisdom about our @ICRC work and approach apple.co/3McKYF1
2
4
462
A must-read, this one. Tech companies founded and scaled in a less turbulent time are coming into contact with the laws of war for the first time. Here are some risks they must understand and manage #CyberSecurity #cloudcomputing #IHL bravo @J_T_Horowitz
Tech is everywhere – including in war. Tech companies are increasingly coming into contact with the realities of armed conflict. This thread is about how they'll have to learn to navigate this space and understand the legal implications that arise. techpolicy.press/when-might-…
3
284
Laura WalkerMcDonald retweeted
We're looking for the next Director of the @calpnetwork - is that you or someone you know? Opportunity to really influence humanitarian assistance; chance to work with a vibrant network and great team ... the list goes on. Please share. bit.ly/CALPDir
8
4
9
2,056
Laura WalkerMcDonald retweeted
Re: the path that AI is on, and losing hope/energy, my brilliant colleague @YJernite puts the sense of grief well: "Letting go of the belief that showing something to be wrong is enough to drive change"
Replying to @willie_agnew
As someone with a mostly academic background, letting go of the belief that showing something to be wrong is enough to drive change took some grieving... I'm still very grateful for good scholarship that supports other ways of shifting power though!
4
13
1
94
18,032
Laura WalkerMcDonald retweeted
Today we mark the International Day of the Disappeared & publicly stand with families of missing persons, express our solidarity, and commemorate their missing relatives together with them.
4
5
447
Jerry-rigging your sim card for travel is not dead, for those who miss that era
Contrary to popular belief, you can use eSIM phone plans without needing a phone that supports eSIM. Why would you want that? Many prepaid eSIM plans are very cheap and can be bought ahead of travel, but most phones don't have an eSIM chip built-in. So how does this work? The tl;dr is that eSIM is actually a specification that is implemented by a UICC, or universal integrated circuit card. Phones with eSIM support have an eUICC (embedded UICC) chip, but there's nothing preventing a vendor from making a traditional nano SIM-sized card with an eUICC that follows the eSIM spec. These are called "removable eUICCs" and are actually used in IoT devices, but their use in mobile devices is still somewhat new. A few companies have popped up that sell you removable eUICCs, like eSIM.me and esim.5ber.com, but it's also possible to DIY your own removable eUICC. There are tutorials online on how to take an off-the-shelf eUICC chip, remove the original chip in a physical nano SIM, and then weld the eUICC chip onto the nano SIM card. Some Chinese online retailers also sell the finished product for much cheaper than the aforementioned companies, but you can't just buy the product, insert it into your device, and then download an eSIM profile. That's because you need a way to actually provision the eSIM plan onto the removable eUICC. Most Android phones with eSIM support built-in ship with an app that does this, like SIM Manager on Pixels (shown below), but these apps won't work with removable eUICCs you insert. Companies like eSIM.me and 5ber offer apps that work with their own products, but if you go the DIY route, you'll need to use something like OpenEUICC. OpenEUICC is an open source app for Android that allows for provisioning eSIM profiles onto removable eUICCs. It requires certain system privileges to function, so you need a phone with root access to provision an eSIM plan. Once a plan is provisioned onto the card, though, you can use it on any device that has a SIM card slot. If you want to learn more about removable eUICCs and how eSIMs work in general, check out this article I wrote last year: esper.io/blog/android-desser… --- Other links: esimdb lists a bunch of prepaid eSIM plans: esimdb.com/ esim.me or esim.5ber.com for off-the-shelf removable eUICCs without the need for DIYing your own/rooting a phone to use OpenEUICC OpenEUICC project: gitea.angry.im/PeterCxy/Open… (DIY method): A tricky way to use eSIM on CN/IN variant: forum.xda-developers.com/t/a…
289
Laura WalkerMcDonald retweeted
Replying to @ICRC
@ICRC & @MiddleEastInst to host a webinar on the intersection of armed conflict and climate change, and the impact on vulnerable communities in the Middle East region ahead of COP28. For more info and to register: bit.ly/3qHnMHu
21
2
35
8,852
I have come to realize this is central to my whole professional ethos. Try things, with humility, designing with your target users wherever you can; roll out with attention to success, impact indicators and feedback, and tweak as you go. #ict4D #humtech
Resilience > robustness. Trying to stop failure is impossible — but few people / teams / orgs are as willing to admit when their attempts to do so go awry. Or they don’t even realize the goal is a “mirage.” Resilience = preparing for failure = minimizing impact = better ROI.
1
253
Laura WalkerMcDonald retweeted
This week marks 78 years since the bombings of Hiroshima (Aug. 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (Aug. 9, 1945). @nytimes tells the story of the human cost of atomic bombs through one survivor. #NeverAgain nyti.ms/3OlpW7t
3
3
265