Our Story: Empowering People through AI
Our journey began in an unexpected place: a shared co-working space in India. We, two researchers from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), were visiting from Germany when we encountered a moment that would change our path forever. There, we witnessed two young men working relentlessly in a small kitchen, dedicating 14 to 16 hours each day, six days a week, for a meager pay of just 120-140 euros a month. It was a stark reminder of the often overlooked struggles and the vast pool of untapped potential that exists in many communities.
The Problem We Saw
As computer vision researchers, we understood the challenges that exist in our own field. Training deep learning models for computer vision requires immense amounts of labeled data, and precise labeling is crucial for AI systems to learn and function effectively. However, in Germany, the cost of manual labeling is prohibitively high, and the work itself is considered mundane and undesirable by many. Meanwhile, in India, we saw skilled, hardworking individuals stuck in low-wage jobs with little opportunity for growth or advancement.
The Spark of an Idea
Combining these realizations, we saw an opportunity to create a positive change. What if we could outsource the critical yet labor-intensive image labeling work to India while ensuring that the work was done with precision and quality? But we didn’t want to stop there. As researchers, we are passionate about artificial intelligence and its potential to shape the future. We wanted to share this passion with others and, more importantly, empower people by teaching them about AI. Our vision became clear: build a model that not only provides fair and respectful employment but also fosters growth and education. We didn’t want to exploit labor; instead, we wanted to create a fair trade system, where workers are paid well, work reasonable hours, and have access to educational resources that can uplift them.
Extensive Expertise in Computer Vision Solutions
Over the years, we have worked on diverse computer vision projects, sharpening our understanding of how critical high-quality data is. This deep involvement has equipped us to understand the unique requirements of our clients. We know that every annotation project has its own intricacies, and our experience enables us to customize solutions effectively, adding value at every step.
Our Solution: Quality and Fairness
We established our company with a dual mission:
- To deliver top-quality image labeling services under our expert guidance, ensuring the standards required for training sophisticated AI models.
- To empower our employees by paying them fairly and investing in their education, particularly in AI and computer vision.
Our approach allows workers to label images for just four hours a day, earning a fair wage for their work. The rest of their time is devoted to learning about artificial intelligence, acquiring new skills, and understanding the broader significance of the work they do. By building this community and fostering AI awareness, we aim to provide a healthier, more balanced, and growth-oriented working environment.