International good practice initiative

Who we are?

Humans in the Loop is an award-winning social enterprise which supports people affected by conflict to digitally upskill and to access digital work opportunities. Founded in Sofia, Bulgaria in 2017, the organization has provided over 600 people with digital skills education and over 100 people with digital work. The organization works in Bulgaria and also with local partners
in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq and Kenya.

Humans in the Loop and their founder Iva Gumnishka are winners of the 2022 EU Prize for Women Innovators, Cartier Women’s Initiative 2023 and the Sustainable Development Goals Digital GameChangers Award 2023.

Background and aims

The UN estimates that in 2023 over 114 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced due to violence, human rights violations and persecution. When people are displaced by conflict, their opportunities for work and education are often limited. At the same time, The
World Economic Forum has predicted that nearly 97 million new jobs will be created by AI. Humans in the Loop exists to provide access to these opportunities in AI, which in turn provide financial independence and career progression. In addition, the I.T sector is famously undiverse with a significant lack of women taking up tech careers and a low representation of ethnic minorities in tech in the EU, US and UK.

Lack of diversity in tech directly impacts the quality and ethics of AI technology with concerns about AI bias widely discussed. Humans in the Loop focuses on creating a flexible and diverse workforce with equal opportunities for both men and women. The organization provides a wide range of services including personalised career support and free online courses which can be accessed globally. These include introductory courses to basic I.T, Programming, Business Analytics, Graphic Design and Digital Marketing.
English courses and annotation (a key skill for building AI models and the focus of HITL’s for-profit company) are also provided free of charge for people affected by conflict.

Why is this good practice?

Humans in the Loop (HITL) has a focus on gender equality, over 50% of those provided with digital work and over 70% of those trained by the organization since 2017 are women. HITL also has a global focus and supports those going through the most difficult of circumstances to access upskilling and paid work. Through access to the digital economy, the organization enables people to move away from a reliance on humanitarian aid, creating a sustainable model with a focus on independence. This in turn supports the development of a diverse tech sector which reflects the world we live in.

Humans in the Loop provides training from entry-level to advanced, enabling those who have no previous experience in I.T to access upskilling and project based work experience. This model addresses the Digital Skills gap as well as an insight into what life as an I.T
professional might look like through introductory programmes such as' Introduction to Programming with Python’.

Training provided by the organization is delivered online which enables trainees to be flexible and fit training around work, caring responsibilities and travel. Introductory courses are delivered in a variety of languages (English, Arabic, Persian and Ukrainian) ensuring that the courses are accessible. Trainees who are onboarded onto paid work with Humans in the Loop are provided with access to additional training, healthcare support and are represented through HITL’s Beneficiary Advisory Board which provides a space for workers to oversee the strategic direction of the organization and directly input into the training programmes developed. Humans in the Loop has been certified as B-Corp, recognising its commitment to social impact.