Call for Papers - ICAIS 2026

Topics of Interest

We invite submissions across a broad range of topics at the intersection of AI and scientific discovery, spanning the research directions of ICAIS.

Theory and algorithms
AI models and architecture
Optimization algorithms
Reinforcement learning
Embodied intelligence
AI systems and infrastructure
AI safety, alignment, and ethics
AI for life sciences and healthcare
AI for materials science
AI for scientific computing
AI for energy science
AI for quantum science
AI for brain science
AI for aerospace
AI for education
AI for economics and finance
AI for governance and public safety
AI ethics and societal impact

Submission Tracks

ICAIS 2026 features five submission tracks, designed to embrace the full spectrum of AI-driven scientific research, from human-led discovery to AI-generated science, from natural science breakthroughs to the latest advances in AI itself, and now also welcoming the next generation of young scientists.

Pioneer Tracks

Track 1

AI Paper Track

This pioneering track accepts original research where AI systems have made substantial or end-to-end contributions to the scientific work, including hypothesis generation, experimental design, data analysis, or manuscript preparation. We also welcome human-AI collaborative research where the contributions of human and AI are deeply intertwined.

Scope: Research papers, reviews, or reports substantially generated or co-generated by AI scientist systems such as DeepScientist, OmniScientist, or comparable platforms.
Review: Modified review process that accounts for AI involvement while maintaining scientific rigor.
Format: Full paper up to 8 pages main text, plus unlimited references and appendix.
Additional requirements: AI system disclosure, human accountability statement, and evidence of scientific validity.
Presentation: Oral or poster presentation upon acceptance.

Track 2

Young Scientist Track

This track is dedicated to middle and high school students who demonstrate exceptional curiosity and talent in AI and scientific exploration. It celebrates early-stage scientific curiosity and aims to inspire the AI scientists of tomorrow.

Scope: Original projects, experiments, or investigations by middle and high school students related to AI and scientific discovery.
Eligibility: The first author must be enrolled in middle school or high school, with parent or guardian consent and a teacher or mentor endorsement letter.
Format: Extended abstract or project report up to 4 pages including figures and references.
Review: Single-blind review by educators and AI researchers.
Presentation: Poster presentation, with outstanding submissions considered for a Young Scientist Showcase oral session.
Note: Submissions to this track will not be included in formal proceedings.

Communication Tracks

Track 3

Science Journal Track

This track highlights groundbreaking research published or accepted in top-tier science journals, including the Nature, Science, and Cell series as well as leading journals in social sciences and humanities.

Scope: Papers published or accepted in CNS-series journals and top journals in social sciences and humanities.
Submission requirements: Submit the paper DOI or permanent link for published work, or proof of acceptance for accepted work not yet online.
Review: Light review to confirm eligibility and relevance.
Presentation: Oral presentation at the conference.

Track 4

Sister Conference Track

This track highlights the latest AI research published or accepted at top-tier AI conferences and journals. We invite authors of such papers to present their work at ICAIS 2026.

Scope: Papers published or accepted at recent premier AI conferences and journals, including ICLR, ICML, NeurIPS, CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, ACL, EMNLP, AAAI, IJCAI, KDD, TMM, TNNLS, TPAMI, and related venues.
Submission requirements: Submit a DOI or permanent link for published work, or proof of acceptance and a PDF for accepted work not yet online.
Review: Light review to confirm eligibility and relevance.
Presentation: Oral presentation at the conference.

Track 5

Extended Abstract Track

This track provides a forum for researchers to present work-in-progress, emerging ideas, recently published findings, or unpublished results in a poster session.

Scope: Any published or unpublished work relevant to the conference topics, including preliminary results, position papers, and ongoing projects.
Format: Extended abstract up to 2 pages including references.
Review: Single-blind review for relevance and quality.
Presentation: Poster presentation at the conference.
Note: Extended abstracts will not be included in formal proceedings.

Important Dates

All times are Anywhere on Earth (AoE).

Milestone	Date
Submission Open	July 1, 2026
Submission Deadline (Tracks 1, 2, and 5)	September 1, 2026 (23:59 AoE)
Submission Deadline (Tracks 3 and 4: Published Papers)	September 7, 2026 (23:59 AoE)
Notification of Acceptance	September 15, 2026
Camera-Ready Submission	September 30, 2026
Conference Dates	October 2026 (TBD)

Submission Guidelines

Format

Track 1: PDF prepared using the ICAIS LaTeX template. Papers are limited to 8 pages for the main text, with unlimited references and appendices.
Track 2: Extended abstract or project report up to 4 pages, with parent or guardian consent and teacher endorsement as supplementary materials.
Tracks 3 and 4: Submit a DOI or permanent link for published papers, or proof of acceptance for accepted papers.
Track 5: Extended abstract up to 2 pages including references.

Review Process

Track 1: Modified double-blind review that accounts for AI involvement while maintaining scientific rigor.
Track 2: Single-blind review by educators and AI researchers.
Tracks 3 and 4: Light review to confirm eligibility and topical relevance.
Track 5: Single-blind review for relevance and quality.

Dual Submission Policy

Track 1: Papers currently under review at another venue or published elsewhere are not eligible. Preprints are permitted.
Track 2: Submissions must be the original work of the student author or authors and must not have been previously published elsewhere.
Tracks 3 and 4: These tracks specifically welcome already-published or accepted papers from qualifying venues.
Track 5: Submissions may include unpublished work or work published elsewhere.

Author Responsibilities

Author commitment: At least one author of each accepted paper commits to registering for and presenting the paper at the conference in person.
Conflict of interest: Authors and reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest according to the Author Guide.
AI use disclosure: For all tracks, authors must disclose any use of AI tools in the research or writing process. Track 1 submissions have additional disclosure requirements.

Organizers and Conduct

Hosted By

Zhongguancun Academy and Zhongguancun Institute of Artificial Intelligence.

Code of Conduct

ICAIS 2026 is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all participants. All attendees, authors, reviewers, and organizers are required to adhere to the conference Code of Conduct, which will be published on the conference website.

ICAIS 2026 Call for Papers