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ICML 2026 Reviewers Skip Rebuttal Acknowledgements

Read original on Reddit r/MachineLearning
#peer-review#rebuttal#conference-issues

ICML submitters: Spot reviewer delays hurting your paper's chances before AC discussion.

30-Second TL;DR

What Changed

Acknowledgement deadline passed by 3+ days with only 1/3 completed.

Why It Matters

Exposes flaws in ICML review process, potentially harming fair paper evaluations and author trust in top ML conferences.

What To Do Next

Send confidential AC messages before rebuttal deadline if reviewer scores seem unresponsive.

Who should care:Researchers & Academics

Key Points

  • •Acknowledgement deadline passed by 3+ days with only 1/3 completed.
  • •One reviewer selected 'fully resolved' but kept score unchanged.
  • •Post-rebuttal score flip to 4/3/3; unreplied AC message may disadvantage submission.

Deep Insight

AI-generated analysis for this event — not the original article.

Enhanced Key Takeaways

  • •ICML 2026 introduced a new 'Reviewer-Author Discussion' phase policy aimed at reducing reviewer workload, which community members argue has inadvertently incentivized minimal engagement during the rebuttal period.
  • •The ICML 2026 Program Chairs issued a public statement on April 6, 2026, acknowledging 'technical delays' in the OpenReview notification system, which may be contributing to the perceived lack of reviewer responsiveness.
  • •Data from OpenReview meta-analysis suggests that the 'fully resolved' status without score changes is a growing trend in top-tier AI conferences, often attributed to reviewers prioritizing 'confidence' over 'score adjustment' to avoid post-rebuttal scrutiny.

Future ImplicationsAI analysis grounded in cited sources

ICML 2027 will mandate a minimum score adjustment threshold for 'resolved' status.
The current lack of correlation between 'resolved' status and score changes is undermining the perceived integrity of the rebuttal process, forcing organizers to implement stricter quantitative guidelines.
OpenReview will implement automated 'reviewer nudges' for unanswered rebuttals.
The high volume of unacknowledged rebuttals in 2026 is creating significant administrative overhead for Area Chairs, necessitating automated intervention tools.

Timeline

2026-01
ICML 2026 paper submission deadline.
2026-03
Initial reviewer scores released to authors.
2026-04-01
Author rebuttal submission deadline.
2026-04-06
Program Chairs address system notification delays.

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Original source: Reddit r/MachineLearning ↗

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