Bremen, Germany – November 2025
IJCAI-ECAI 2026 Rolls Out Primary Paper Initiative to Empower Authors and Reviewers
IJCAI-ECAI 2026 is launching the Primary Paper Initiative in response to the international AI research community’s call to address challenges of the peer review process and revitalize it, while strengthening the reviewers and authors in the process. Acknowledging the rapid growth of the field, this initiative aims at ensuring the quality and viability of peer review benefiting authors, reviewers and the community at large.
IJCAI-ECAI 2026 Primary Paper Initiative
Under IJCAI-ECAI-2026 Primary Paper Initiative, for every submission the fee of USD 100 will have to be paid. That fee is waived for primary paper i.e. papers’ for which none of the authors appear on any other submission to IJCAI-ECAI-2026. The initiative applies to the main track, Survey track and all special tracks, excluding the Journal Track, the Sister Conferences Track, Early Career Highlights, Competitions, Demos and the Doctoral Consortium.
Quality over Quantity
This initiative aims at incentivizing quality over quantity in scientific publishing and reviewing at the top tier conferences such as IJCAI-ECAI.
‘Peer Reviewers Recognition Policy’ Under the IJCAI–ECAI 2026 Primary Paper Initiative
All proceeds generated from the Primary Paper Initiative will be exclusively directed toward the support of the reviewing community of the IJCAI-ECAI 2026.
Background
Analysis of recent review cycles has shown that the growing volume of submissions has placed increasing strain on the peer reviewing process. As submission numbers rise, several issues have become more pronounced: Reduced bidding quality, as reviewers lack sufficient time to assess all available papers; Limited continuity, with no systematic record of who performs high-quality or timely reviews; Lower engagement, including decreased participation in discussions and meta-review activities; Lower rate of constructive reviews, which affects the authors ability to improve; among other challenges.
To address these challenges, the IJCAI-ECAI 2026 Primary Paper Initiative introduces Peer Reviewers Recognition Policy. Reviewers who meet clearly defined criteria for bidding, timely and reasonable reviewing, participation in discussions, and meta-review contributions will qualify to benefit from the measures designed from all proceeds generated from the Initiative, among other benefits.
IJCAI–ECAI 2026 expects that this approach will meaningfully improve review quality for authors while recognizing the contributions of the reviewing community in upholding the conference’s scientific excellence. The outcomes of the IJCAI–ECAI 2026 Primary Paper Initiative will be carefully assessed to evaluate the impact and need for modifications.
Details and the FAQ will be published on the IJCAI-ECAI 2026 website.
About the International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI)
The International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) are premier international gatherings for AI researchers and practitioners, held regularly since 1969. IJCAI mission includes disseminating information on artificial intelligence through conferences that present cutting-edge research, as well as through publications such as proceedings, books, video recordings, and other educational materials.
About EurAI
The European Association for Artificial Intelligence (EurAI), formerly known as the European Coordinating Committee for Artificial Intelligence (ECCAI), was established in July 1982 as a representative body for the European artificial intelligence (AI) community. Its primary objective is to promote the study, research, and application of AI across Europe, carrying out various initiatives such as PhD Award and Distinguished Service award, the Fellows Program, or the Sponsored Conferences. It comprises 24 national AI associations, with more than 5,000 members in total. EurAI is part of AISocc, AIHub and it is a founding member of ADRA (AI, Data, and Robotics Partnership).
Statement: Publish on IJCAI-ECAI 2026 website
Policy for Peer Reviewers Recognition: Needs to be published on the IJCAI-ECAI 2026 website
Text for IJCAI-ECAI Call for papers:
IJCAI-ECAI 2026 is launching the Primary Paper Initiative in response to the international AI research community’s call to address challenges and revitalize the peer review process, while strengthening the reviewers and authors in the process. Under the IJCAI–ECAI 2026 Primary Paper Initiative, the paper submission fee of 100 USD is waived for papers whose authors are not listed on any other submission to IJCAI–ECAI 2026. The initiative applies to the main track and all special tracks, excluding the Journal Track, the Sister Conferences Track, Early Career Highlights, Competitions, Demos and the Doctoral Consortium. All proceeds generated from the Primary Paper Initiative will be exclusively directed toward the support of the reviewing community of the IJCAI-ECAI 2026. To recognize the reviewers contributions, the initiative introduces Peer Reviewer Recognition Policy with clearly defined standards. The initiative aims to enhance review quality, strengthen accountability, and uphold the scientific excellence of the conference. Details and the FAQ will be published on the IJCAI-ECAI 2026 website.