NeurIPS Keynote Speaker Apologizes for Reference to Chinese Student's Nationality

In a recent keynote presentation at the NeurIPS conference, MIT Media Lab Professor Rosalind Picard faced criticism for referencing a Chinese student's nationality in a slide. The slide included a quote from the student, who had been expelled for using AI to manipulate election sentiment. Picard's note stated, "Most Chinese who I know are honest and morally upright." This reference was criticized by attendees and scientists like Google DeepMind's Jiao Sun and Meta's Yuandong Tian, who labeled it as racial bias.

In response to the backlash, NeurIPS organizers issued an apology, emphasizing their commitment to diversity and inclusivity. They stated, "We apologize for the discomfort caused by the content of the keynote presentation. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse community, and we regret any offense caused." Picard also apologized, acknowledging that mentioning the student's nationality was unnecessary and irrelevant to her point. She expressed regret for the unintended negative associations and distress caused, stating her willingness to learn from the experience and seek ways to make amends to the community.

The speaker's reference to the student's nationality was not directly related to the broader context of the keynote presentation or the conference's themes. The slide in question was part of a larger discussion on the use of AI in detecting and mitigating bias in social media content. The student's quote was included to illustrate the potential for AI to identify and address biased content. The speaker's note was intended to emphasize the importance of considering multiple perspectives when evaluating such content. The controversy arose due to the perception that the reference to the student's nationality was irrelevant and potentially offensive. The speaker later apologized for the unintended negative associations and distress caused by including the reference.

The apology acknowledged the distress caused by the speaker's reference to the Chinese student's nationality and the unintended negative associations it created. The organizers expressed their willingness to learn from the experience and seek ways to make amends to the community. The speaker also apologized for the incident, acknowledging her mistake and expressing regret for the unintended negative associations and distress caused. She stated her willingness to learn from the experience and seek ways to make amends to the community.