Dr. Rosalind Picard’s Apology to the NeurIPS Community

To the NeurIPS Community, I want to express my apologies and sincere regret for the events that transpired during my presentation at NeurIPS on Friday, December 13th. It was never my intent to say anything that would cause harm or distress to anyone. 

Upon reflection, I realize that the example I shared of a student's experience should not have listed their nationality. Naming that was irrelevant to the point I was making and insensitive to people with that nationality. I now understand the hurt it caused and regret not recognizing its potential impact beforehand. I unreservedly apologize for this harm. I take full responsibility, and I have removed nationality from the slide so that I will not make that mistake again. The point I was making is clearly independent of nationality.

NeurIPS represents a community I deeply respect—a place that fosters inclusiveness, collaboration, and the sharing of ideas. I remain committed to those values and to rebuilding the trust that my actions have damaged. I value the relationships and shared mission of this community. 

I strongly believe that the practical and ethical questions posed by Generative AI impact us all. Working across national and cultural boundaries, I am hopeful we can solve them together.

Thank you for holding me accountable and allowing me the opportunity to reflect, apologize, and grow.