AAAI-26 Is Reversing a Large Number of Desk Rejects?
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Recently, it has come to light on multiple platforms (e.g., Xiaohongshu) that AAAI-26 is in the process of retracting a large number of previously issued desk reject decisions. This appears to be a widespread phenomenon this year, especially related to desk rejects caused by issues with checklists, appendices, and possible contradictions between the official template and website instructions.
A screenshot circulating online shows an email from the AAAI-26 team via OpenReview, which states:
"We noticed that some desk rejection notifications were sent out by mistake. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by these incorrect notifications. Our AAAI-26 team is currently re-evaluating all submissions that were determined to be desk rejected. We are working hard to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.
... Notification regarding erroneously issued desk rejects will be provided after the re-evaluation process concludes."This means some submissions previously marked as desk rejected may actually still be under consideration, and affected authors should expect follow-up communication from the organizers soon.
Why Did This Happen?- This year, there were unusually many desk rejects related to checklist/appendix issues, with several reports suggesting a mismatch between the official template and website requirements.
- Multiple authors have shared that their desk rejects are being reversed after further review.
- The AAAI-26 team has acknowledged this and is conducting a comprehensive re-review of all impacted submissions.
What Should You Do?- If your submission received a desk reject from AAAI-26, do not panic!
- Monitor your email (and your OpenReview dashboard) closely for follow-up notifications regarding the status of your paper.
- Be prepared to respond to further requests from the AAAI-26 committee if necessary.
Source
https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/64a7a1df000000001001d871