AAAI reviewer rant: template-violating, AI-sounding reviews advance broken papers

OutsideSimple4854 · reddit · 2026-09-25

An AAAI reviewer describes breakdowns in this year's process. Among papers they reviewed: one violated the template and was unblinded, another was incomplete (missing paragraphs, figures, code)—yet for both, the other 'human reviewer' produced pros/cons lists resembling AI-generated reviews, and both advanced to the second round.

A third paper on LLM math, which the reviewer carefully critiqued for insufficient references and no clear motivation, still made Phase 2. The reviewer also reports that AAAI workflow chairs spammed their coauthors calling them 'irresponsible' after the reviewer accepted an emergency review invitation, with no apology or acknowledgment afterwards.

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