Kalika Bali is a Senior Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research India, where she focuses on AI, NLP, speech, and technology for empowerment, with a strong emphasis on multilingual and low-resource language communities. Over the past two decades, she has advanced human-computer interaction through language technologies and is passionate about creating inclusive technology that serves underrepresented languages and communities. She is part of Project VeLLM (UniVersal Empowerment with Large Language Models), an interdisciplinary initiative developing inclusive applications of large language models across languages and cultures, and her research also explores mitigating gender bias in technology.

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Ms. Bali has been recognized globally for her contributions to AI and inclusivity. She was featured on the inaugural TIME100 AI list in 2023 and in Forbes India’s “30 Indian Minds Leading the AI Revolution”. Her work emphasizes responsible AI, fairness, and culturally aware, community-driven evaluation, ensuring technology is ethical and impactful. She is particularly passionate about developing local language technologies, including speech interfaces, to create opportunities for millions of previously underserved individuals.

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