Humans in the Loop

Providing refugees with work and skills to drive forward the Artificial Intelligence Industry.

Team Leader

Iva Gumnishka

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.

Organization Type:
Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofit

Headquarters:
Sofia, Bulgaria

Stage:
Pilot

Working In:
Bulgaria, Turkey, Iraq, Syrian Arab Republic, Afghanistan, Yemen, Rep., Ukraine, Congo, Dem. Rep., Kenya, Lebanon, Philippines, Venezuela, RB, Egypt, Arab Rep., Colombia, Uganda, Rwanda

Solution Website:
https://humansintheloop.org

Solution Team:

Iva Gumnishka
CEO

Zoe Holliday

Namrata Yadav

Humans in the Loop

Providing refugees with work and skills to drive forward the Artificial Intelligence Industry.

The Problem

The Solution

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