China's Science Federation Boycotts Leading AI Conference Over Sanction Row

China's largest federation for science and technology professionals has announced a boycott of a major artificial intelligence (AI) conference. The boycott comes after the California-based NeurIPS conference instituted a policy barring entries from entities under U.S. sanctions, including Chinese tech giants Huawei and SMIC.

Earlier this week, NeurIPS changed its policy to comply with U.S. laws, effectively banning several Chinese companies from submitting research. The move ignited outrage in China, as NeurIPS is a key platform for global AI research collaboration. In response, the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) will redirect funds to conferences that respect Chinese academic rights.

The dispute underscores broader geopolitical frictions affecting AI research, as the U.S. raises scrutiny on Chinese scientists and imposes sanctions on Chinese tech entities. Tensions escalate as both nations aim to dominate frontier technology, with each using state measures to influence each other's tech landscapes.