The short film, Humans in the Loop, screened to a full house at Pilerne

The short film, Humans in the Loop, screened to a full house at Pilerne
Pilerne September 2025 – By drawing parallels between parenting and algorithm training, the film, Humans in the Loop, screened at The Museum of Goa (MOG), Pilerne, opened a wider debate: Is AI a blank slate, or does it inevitably inherit the biases of its human creators?
The internationally acclaimed debut feature by Mumbai-based filmmaker Aranya Sahay drew an engaged audience of cinephiles, students and art enthusiasts.
Set in Jharkhand, Humans in the Loop tells the story of Nehma, an indigenous woman who begins working as a data labeller at a remote AI centre. As she carefully trains algorithms, Nehma begins to uncover the deeply rooted human biases embedded within technology, leading her to question whether AI can ever reflect the values and perspectives of her community.
The 74-minute film, presented in Hindi and English with subtitles, resonated deeply with the audience. Many remarked on its timely relevance, as the story highlighted how AI development intersects with marginalised communities and labour in rural India.
The film has won accolades including the Best Debut Film at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF ’25), Grand Jury Award for Best Feature Film at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA ’25) and Best Film at the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes ’25).