CAST boycott at NeurIPS underscores widening US-China AI rift

China’s state-backed CAST is boycotting NeurIPS 2026 over a policy that would bar researchers from certain Chinese institutions; NeurIPS later apologized and narrowed the ban, but CAST says funding for attendees will be redirected and NeurIPS papers discounted in evaluations. The dispute highlights a growing split in AI research between the US and China, with China already leading AI publications and authorship at NeurIPS, and analysts saying the move signals China’s intent to pursue AI more independently if Western venues are not welcoming, though it remains unclear how many researchers will actually withdraw.