NeurIPS Keynote Speaker Apologizes for China Student Remark

Controversy at NeurIPS Conference Over Speaker’s Reference to a Student

A presenter at the yearly NeurIPS Artificial Intelligence conference has faced backlash. This criticism wasn't directed at her views on AI itself, but rather how she characterized a student from China.

Incident During Keynote Presentation

MIT Media Lab professor Rosalind Picard, during her keynote address titled “How to optimize what matters most,” displayed a slide. This slide contained a quote attributed to a “Chinese student who is now expelled from top university.”

The student, according to the slide, reportedly stated, “Nobody at my school taught us morals or values.”

Accompanying this quote was a statement from Picard herself, asserting, “Most Chinese who I know are honest and morally upright.”

Social Media Reaction and Concerns

Jiao Sun, a scientist at Google DeepMind, shared an image of the slide on X (formerly Twitter). Sun commented that addressing racial bias in Large Language Models (LLMs) is simpler than eliminating it in individuals.

Yuandong Tian, a research scientist at Meta, amplified Sun’s post. He explicitly labeled the slide as demonstrating “explicit racial bias” and questioned how such a situation could occur at NeurIPS.

Attendee Feedback and Picard’s Response

Footage from the question-and-answer session, also circulated on X, reveals an attendee pointing out that the student’s nationality was the sole instance of national identification in Picard’s presentation.

The attendee suggested the reference was “a bit offensive” and requested Picard remove it in future presentations. Picard appeared receptive to this suggestion.

Apology from NeurIPS Organizers

Following the presentation, the NeurIPS organizers issued a formal apology. They stated the comment made during the invited talk was unacceptable and inconsistent with their code of conduct.

The organizers confirmed they were addressing the issue directly with Picard. They reaffirmed NeurIPS’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equal treatment for all.

Picard’s Statement and Regret

Picard herself released a statement offering an apology. She expressed “regret” for mentioning the student’s nationality.

“I see that this was unnecessary, irrelevant to the point I was making, and caused unintended negative associations,” Picard explained. “I apologize for doing this and feel very badly about the distress that this incident has caused.”

She concluded by stating her willingness to learn from the experience and to consider ways to rectify the situation within the community.