Providing refugees with work and skills to drive forward the artificial intelligence Industry
Team Leader
Iva Gumnishka
Providing refugees with work and skills to drive forward the Artificial Intelligence Industry.
Solution Pitch
The Problem
Conflict-affected people face severe hurdles in securing employment. Armed conflict has caused unemployment levels to spike in Syria and Iraq, and in Turkey only 50,000 out of 2 million working age refugees and asylum-seekers have work permits. Due to permit issues and a lack of opportunities, many conflict-affected people end up relying on humanitarian assistance or working in the informal sector, where they are vulnerable to exploitation.
The Solution
Humans in the Loop provides conflict-affected people with training and work opportunities in the artificial intelligence industry. Working as a B2B outsourcing company, Humans in the Loop connects directly with computer vision startups and researchers and supplies human input in order to help improve their models. Services include: collecting the ground truth data set; annotating data; verification of machine outputs; and edge case handling.
Professional "humans in the loop" are trained on AI and machine learning bias as well as a variety of annotation tools and platforms. This work does not require English capabilities and can be done from home. Workers also acquire essential computer and workplace skills that increase their professional opportunities in the future.
Stats
Humans in the Loop has provided more than 300 conflict-affected people across Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq with dignified remote work opportunities in the AI annotation field.
Market Opportunity
Image and data annotation is a growing market estimated to reach $1 Billion by 2023. Human input, including collection and manual annotation, is key to developing self-driving cars, drones and satellites, facial recognition, medical imagery, and more. To perform this work, Humans in the Loop taps into a frequently overlooked demographic of conflict-affected people in the Balkans and the Middle East, including 3.5 million refugees in Turkey and 6 million internally displaced people in Syria and Iraq.
Organization Highlights
Selected as an Expo Live 2020 Global Innovator
Forbes Bulgaria 30 under 30 in 2018
Featured in Yahoo News, ZDNet, Trending Topics, and more
Partnership Goals
Human in the Loop seeks:
Growing media exposure and speaking opportunities
Expanded client base in the US
Improved accounting practices
New board members and advisors
What is the name of your organization?
HITL EOOD
What is the name of your solution?
Humans in the Loop
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Providing refugees with work and skills to drive forward the Artificial Intelligence Industry.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Sofia
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
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What type of organization is your solution team?
Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
Conflict-affected people face severe barriers to employment. Armed conflict drives unemployment, and only a small share of working-age refugees and asylum seekers have work permits. With few opportunities, many rely on aid or informal work, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation.
What is your solution?
Humans in the Loop provides conflict-affected people with training and work opportunities in the artificial intelligence industry. Working as a B2B outsourcing company, Humans in the Loop connects directly with computer vision startups and researchers and supplies human input in order to help improve their models. Services include: collecting the ground truth data set; annotating data; verification of machine outputs; and edge case handling.
Professional "humans in the loop" are trained on AI and machine learning bias as well as a variety of annotation tools and platforms. This work does not require English capabilities and can be done from home. Workers also acquire essential computer and workplace skills that increase their professional opportunities in the future.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
We primarily work with conflict-affected people in Bulgaria (104 refugees and asylum seekers), Turkey (39 refugees, including people with disabilities), Syria (80 internally displaced people and locals), and Iraq (95 internally displaced people and locals). Women make up 52% of our workforce and the average age is 26, though some annotators are 50+.
Through local NGO partners, primarily Roia Foundation and WorkWell, we tailor our offering to each context, addressing internet connectivity, access to technology, payment processing, and training needs. We track monthly hours worked, wages paid, and trainings received to ensure we meet impact targets. Most supervisors come from our target group, strengthening the feedback loop.
To better understand community needs, we conduct an annual impact assessment combining interviews and KPI evaluation.
Solver Team
Organization Type: Hybrid of For-Profit and Nonprofit
