As vibrant as the sunbirds she spots in Lodhi Garden, Saloni Sharma bridges liberal arts and AI, researching human intimacy with technology while making complex ideas beautifully simple.

“Are there sunbirds in Lodhi?”, a query to which Saloni Sharma smiles brightly and nods an affirmative response, exuberating the essence of a sunbird herself – small, bright, colourful, and full of energy. With academic achievements that have remained consistently prestigious and an imperishable curiosity, she is intellect, charm, gentleness, and humility all packed into one person. Someone small with a presence that adds so much colour, much like the sunbirds of Lodhi Garden, where, as the fresh rays of golden hour wrapped around her skin and hair, she expresses, “everything you are doing is contributing to something bigger…whatever I’m doing is real, it has bigger implications. So, that gives me a sense of responsibility.” 

An understanding that humans are not atomic, individualistic beings, but rather all contributors to the universe we live in, in one way or another, is motivation to strive in all endeavours, academic or otherwise, according to Saloni. Her experience in the fields of debating and public speaking has taught her more than simply the art of persuasion and communication. Everybody has those things that they want to do, but the fear of failure and the discomfort of unfamiliarity are paralysing, that is, until one looks at Saloni’s point of view. She reminds those who intend to take up a new project or participate in something that lies outside their comfort zone not to place the weight of expectation of success on their shoulders. “I want to experience it once.” One would want to experience as much as possible in this short yet incredibly cathartic experience called life. So, take every new step as a learning opportunity that is to be hindered neither by the desire for perfection nor the fear of failure.

“[Intellectualism] is something very human, something all of us experience.” Saloni explains that a true “intellectual” is able to explain the most complex topics in the simplest ways. What someone says should resonate with their audience if it is to make an impact. If the information one shares fails to do so, their intellectualism is flawed. Saloni’s statement that intellectualism is conveyed with simplicity stands especially true in her own case, as she displays a deep understanding of philosophy and political theory and can convey it with a great deal of gentleness.

Being the co-founder of AICommons, Saloni has linked liberal arts and technology, connecting sociology and artificial intelligence. Currently pursuing research on AI and intimacy, exploring the emotional dependence and romantic attachment people can develop to their AI bots, Saloni seeks to understand the philosophy behind why people would choose to connect with code over people. “It’s dystopian. It’s sad and scary that it’s happening.” Human beings value organicness and authenticity, which makes Saloni question why and how that can be found in AI bots. Through her research and her ongoing dissertation, she hopes to find answers to these questions. Intelligent and bubbly, and bursting with colour, it is as if a sunbird of Lodhi Garden has epitomised. 

Profiled by: Souparnika