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The introduction of a position paper track at ICML 2024 is a notable development, emphasizing thought-provoking perspectives, forward-looking discussions, and critical reflections on the field of machine learning. Based on available information, here’s an analysis of other top AI conferences that offer a similar position paper track or encourage submissions with a focus on viewpoints, discussions, or future directions in AI and machine learning, distinct from traditional research papers.

Top AI Conferences with Position Paper Tracks or Similar Formats

  1. NeurIPS (Neural Information Processing Systems)

    • Position Paper Track: While NeurIPS does not explicitly advertise a dedicated "position paper track" like ICML 2024, it has historically accepted papers that propose perspectives, frameworks, or discussions on the future of AI and machine learning, particularly in its broader impact statements and ethics-focused tracks. For instance, NeurIPS encourages submissions that address societal impacts, ethical considerations, and critical reflections on AI development, which align with the spirit of position papers.
    • Details: NeurIPS often includes workshops and symposia that invite position papers or discussion-oriented submissions. For example, workshops on AI ethics, fairness, or societal implications may explicitly call for position papers or critical reviews. The main conference track, while primarily focused on technical contributions, also accepts papers that propose novel perspectives or paradigms, provided they meet rigorous academic standards.
    • Evidence: The NeurIPS 2024 call for papers emphasizes broader impact statements and ethical considerations, encouraging authors to reflect on the societal consequences of their work, which aligns with the goals of a position paper track. Workshops like those on AI governance or safety often explicitly invite position papers.
    • Location and Date (2025): Vancouver, Canada, December 9–15, 2025.

  2. FAccT (ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency)

    • Position Paper Track: FAccT is known for its interdisciplinary approach, bringing together researchers from computer science, social sciences, law, and humanities to discuss the societal impacts of AI. The conference explicitly encourages position papers that propose critical perspectives, policy recommendations, or ethical frameworks for AI systems.
    • Details: FAccT’s call for papers includes a track for non-technical or less technical contributions, such as position papers, that focus on the societal, ethical, or policy implications of AI. These papers often advocate for specific viewpoints or propose new approaches to addressing issues like bias, fairness, or transparency in AI systems.
    • Evidence: FAccT is highlighted as a key venue for discussions on the human and societal aspects of intelligent systems, with a format that encourages interaction and accessibility for sharing ideas.
    • Location and Date (2025): Tucson, Arizona, USA, February 28–March 4, 2025.

  3. AAAI (Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence)

    • Position Paper Track: AAAI does not have a dedicated position paper track, but it includes special tracks that align with the goals of position papers, such as the AI for Social Impact track or the New Ideas track. These tracks encourage submissions that propose novel perspectives, discuss emerging trends, or address societal challenges in AI.
    • Details: The AI for Social Impact track, for example, invites papers that reflect on the broader implications of AI, including ethical, societal, or policy-oriented discussions. Similarly, the New Ideas track welcomes visionary papers that propose future directions or critical perspectives, even if they are not centered on novel technical results.
    • Evidence: AAAI’s 2024 Spring Symposium on topics like Clinical Foundation Models or User-Aligned Assessment of Adaptive AI Systems explicitly invited discussion-oriented papers, which share similarities with position papers.
    • Location and Date (2025): Philadelphia, USA, February 25–March 4, 2025.

  4. IJCAI (International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence)

    • Position Paper Track: IJCAI does not formally designate a position paper track, but its call for papers includes categories like “Visionary Talks” and “Survey Papers” that serve similar purposes. These tracks encourage submissions that propose forward-looking ideas, critical analyses, or discussions on the future of AI.
    • Details: IJCAI’s broad scope covers AI’s theoretical and applied aspects, and its special tracks (e.g., AI for Social Good) often invite papers that advocate for specific perspectives or discuss emerging challenges. Visionary Talks, in particular, are designed to spark discussion and reflection within the AI community.
    • Evidence: IJCAI is noted as a premier AI conference that balances theoretical and applied research, with opportunities for non-traditional submissions that align with position paper goals.
    • Location and Date (2025): Montreal, Canada, August 16–22, 2025.

  5. AISTATS (International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics)

    • Position Paper Track: AISTATS does not have an explicit position paper track, but it accepts papers that propose theoretical frameworks, critical reviews, or discussions on the intersection of AI and statistics. These submissions often take a meta-level perspective, similar to ICML’s position papers.
    • Details: AISTATS encourages submissions that explore new paradigms or critical reflections on statistical methods in AI, which can include position-like papers advocating for specific research directions or methodologies.
    • Evidence: AISTATS is mentioned as a high-quality venue for machine learning research, with a focus on statistical methods that can accommodate discussion-oriented papers.
    • Location and Date (2025): Lucca, Tuscany, Italy, April 6–10, 2025.

Conferences Without Explicit Position Paper Tracks

Some top AI conferences, such as ICLR (International Conference on Learning Representations) and CVPR (Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition), do not currently advertise a dedicated position paper track. However:

  • ICLR: Encourages innovative and forward-looking submissions, including those that propose new paradigms or critical perspectives. While primarily focused on technical contributions, ICLR’s broad scope allows for papers that discuss future directions or challenges in representation learning.
    • Location and Date (2025): Singapore, April 24–28, 2025.
  • CVPR: Focuses heavily on technical advancements in computer vision but includes workshops that may invite position papers or discussion-oriented submissions on topics like ethics or societal impacts.
    • Location and Date (2025): Nashville, Tennessee, USA, June 11–16, 2025.

Notes and Observations

  • ICML’s Position Paper Track Specificity: ICML’s position paper track is unique in its explicit focus on stimulating community discussion through compelling perspectives, with distinct review criteria (position clarity, support with reasoning/evidence, and significance). Few other conferences have an identically structured track, but FAccT comes closest in its emphasis on interdisciplinary and discussion-oriented submissions.
  • Workshops as Alternatives: Many conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICLR, CVPR) host workshops that explicitly call for position papers or discussion-oriented submissions. These workshops often focus on emerging topics like AI ethics, safety, or governance, providing a venue for position-like papers even if the main conference track does not.
  • Emerging Trends: The inclusion of position paper tracks or similar formats reflects a growing recognition in the AI community of the need to address broader issues (e.g., ethics, societal impact, research priorities). Conferences like FAccT and AAAI’s special tracks are leading this trend.

Recommendation

If you’re seeking conferences with a position paper track or similar focus on discussion and critical perspectives, prioritize FAccT for its explicit emphasis on societal and ethical discussions, and consider NeurIPS, AAAI, and IJCAI for their special tracks or workshop opportunities that align with position paper goals. Always check the specific call for papers for 2025, as conference formats evolve annually. For the most up-to-date information, visit the conference websites or submission platforms like OpenReview.

If you need further details on specific submission guidelines or deadlines for these conferences, let me know!