Best Film Winner, FIPRESCI Award
Best Debut Film, New York Indian Film Festival 2025
Best Feature Grand Jury Prize, IFFLA 20225
Inspired by the real phenomenon of 'data labelling' in indigenous regions across India, 'Humans In The Loop' follows Nehma, an indigenous woman who, after divorcing her Hindu husband, returns to her ancestral village with her children—Dhaanu & Guntu.
To support her family, Nehma takes an unusual job—'data labelling,' tagging images to help algorithms distinguish objects. Major AI firms outsource this to remote regions of India, where labor is cheap. At the centre, a common saying "AI is like a child", resonates with Nehma. Having grown up believing in life, even in inanimate objects, she connects to the metaphor. She approaches her work with care of a parent teaching their child.
As Nehma immerses herself in work, her bond with Dhaanu deteriorates. Struggling with village life, Dhaanu contemplates running away while Nehma begins to see AI as a surrogate child, hoping it will understand her perspective. But as AI mirrors human biases, Nehma questions if it can ever truly see through her indigenous lens.
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