China's Boycott of NeurIPS Conference Highlights US-China AI Research Divide
The China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) has decided to boycott the NeurIPS conference, a major AI event organized by a US-based non-profit. This decision follows a controversy over a policy that initially appeared to exclude many Chinese researchers. Although NeurIPS later apologized and revised the policy, CAST remains firm in its decision not to fund Chinese researchers' attendance or consider NeurIPS papers in evaluations. This move underscores a growing divide in AI research between the US and China. Last year, China-based researchers were the largest group of first authors at NeurIPS, and China leads in AI paper volume globally. The boycott could significantly impact the conference, as Chinese participation is substantial. 
