The 7th Muslims in ML Workshop at NeurIPS 2026

The 7th Muslims in ML (MusIML) Workshop continues its tradition of success at top-tier conferences, providing a vibrant academic and social platform for the global Muslim community in machine learning. This workshop directly responds to NeurIPS's call for Affinity Groups, focusing on the intersection of machine learning, fairness, and the global Muslim community to explore its unique challenges and opportunities. Our core objective is to foster high-quality original research, promote ethical AI solutions tailored to diverse cultural, linguistic, and economic contexts, and create an inclusive and safe academic space for Muslim researchers.
The MusIML community has an extensive track record of organizing successful events at premier conferences. Since 2020, we have organized 12 official events, including 6 workshops and 7 social and mentoring events. Our workshops have become a staple affinity event at both NeurIPS and NeurIPS. The community has shown consistent growth, from approximately 100 attendees at our inaugural workshop at NeurIPS 2020 to accepting 60 papers with 300+ attendees at NeurIPS 2025, demonstrating our expanding influence and the increasing engagement of our community.
The 7th Muslims in ML workshop will be held in Sydney, co-located with NeurIPS 2026.

Our Goals

The Muslims in ML Workshop aims to:

Our Mission and Vision

The MusIML workshop seeks to provide a platform for the machine learning community to engage in thoughtful discussions about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies on Muslim individuals and communities. Our goal is to highlight both the opportunities for advancement and the risks of harm to those who identify with, are culturally connected to, or are categorized as Muslim. We aim to foster an inclusive environment where issues related to bias, ethical concerns, and representation in AI and ML can be addressed through research, collaboration, and advocacy. By bringing together academics, professionals, and practitioners, we strive to ensure that the benefits of ML extend equitably to Muslim communities while minimizing potential harms.

Our vision is to create a more equitable and just future where AI and ML technologies work to uplift Muslim communities, reduce societal biases, and foster innovation that respects and values cultural, religious, and ethical differences. We envision a world where Muslims and those in Muslim-majority regions are empowered to contribute to and benefit from advancements in machine learning. Through ongoing discussions, research, and collaborations, we aspire to create positive change by addressing systemic challenges in technology, enhancing inclusion, and advocating for fair representation of Muslims in the ML field.

Call for Papers: MusiML@NeurIPS2026

We are pleased to announce the 7th Muslims in Machine Learning (MusIML) Workshop, which will take place at NeurIPS 2026, in Seoul, South Korea. This workshop aims to amplify the development and use of machine learning (ML) in Muslim communities including Muslim-majority countries and strategies for global societal impact through AI and ML.

Workshop Overview

The MusIML workshop serves as a platform for researchers and practitioners to explore the intersection of machine learning, AI, and Muslim communities. Our mission is to promote high-quality research that not only fosters growth within Muslim communities but also advances strategies to improve fairness, inclusion, and ethical AI. We encourage contributions that address these challenges and highlight how ML can be a tool for positive change, especially for Muslims in both Muslim-majority countries and global communities.

Track 1: ML for Muslim Communities and Islamic Contexts

Research on Quran and Hadith analysis, Islamic digital humanities, language and speech technologies, education, healthcare, governance, datasets, fairness, representation, and other challenges relevant to Muslim communities.
Length: 4 pages for short papers or 8 pages for long papers.
Criteria: Community relevance, technical quality, sound evaluation, originality, impact, and clarity.

Track 2: AI System Demonstrations for Muslim Communities and Islamic Contexts

Working AI systems addressing Islamic contexts or the needs of Muslim communities, including research prototypes, open-source tools, educational platforms, scientific software, agentic systems, and deployed applications.
Submissions must include:

Criteria: Community relevance, technical quality, innovation, user value, comparative evaluation, deployment potential, and demonstration quality.

Track 3: ML Competition Proposals for Social Impact

Competition proposals addressing challenges relevant to Muslim communities, including Quran and Hadith technologies, culturally aware NLP, healthcare, education, accessibility, public services, and responsible AI.
Submissions must include:

Length: Maximum 2 pages.
Criteria: Social impact, task design, dataset readiness and quality, baseline evaluation, feasibility, ethics, and participation potential.

Track 4: Mentored Research and Networking

This track includes two submission categories:

Criteria: Technical quality, contribution, clarity, mentorship outcomes, and networking value.

Track 5: ML Research by Muslim Scholars

Any ML/AI topic, including LLMs, generative AI, vision, speech, probabilistic methods, federated learning, robotics, and AI ethics and safety. At least one author self-identifies as Muslim. Papers submitted to the NeurIPS main conference are also welcome here.
Length: 4 pages (short) or 8 pages (long).

Important Dates

Program Details

Registration

The NeurIPS workshop registration, as listed on neurips.cc, would be needed. Coverage of the registration fee for the NeurIPS workshops or conference may be offered for one author of an accepted paper based on availability .

Tentative Schedule

Organizing Team

Shaokai Yang Shaokai Yang University of Alberta
Ahmed Youssef Ahmed Youssef Synopsys
Ehsaneddin Asgari Ehsaneddin Asgari Qatar Computing Research Institute
Yousra Farhani Yousra Farhani Niels Bohr Institute
Suleiman Ali Khan Suleiman Ali Khan Amazon
Azmine Toushik Wasi Azmine Toushik Wasi CIOL
Gasser Elbanna Gasser Elbanna Harvard University
Nasik Muhammad Nafi Nasik Muhammad Nafi Oak Ridge National Lab
Kamran Soomro Kamran Soomro UWE Bristol
Rian Adam Rajagede Rian Adam Rajagede University of Central Florida
Muhammad Irfan Khan Muhammad Irfan Khan Turku University of Applied Sciences

Join Us

We welcome all researchers— irrespective of their religious/ethnic background —to submit their work and contribute to the development and application of ML in Muslims Countries and Muslim Communities globally. For more information, please visit our community page.
For any questions, email the organizers at: [email protected].
Also, sign up to [email protected] mailing list by filling out the form to follow updates about our workshop.
Also, join Muslims in ML Slack group.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does acceptance to the workshop grant access to the main NeurIPS 2026 conference?
No. Acceptance to the workshop does not automatically grant access to the main NeurIPS 2026 conference. You will need to register for the conference separately unless you are awarded complimentary registration.
I require a visa to attend. What should I do?
If you require a visa, we advise you to officially register for the conference now so you can obtain the official invitation letter for your visa application. If you are later selected for complimentary registration, your conference registration fee will be fully refunded.
Are travel grants or airfare reimbursements offered?
We do not offer travel grants or airfare reimbursements. We will provide complimentary conference registration to a select group of authors. Eligibility is determined by several factors, including paper acceptance status, selection for oral or spotlight presentations, and career stage.
Is overnight accommodation provided?
Authors are welcome to use the workshop venue rooms during event hours. However, the organizers are unable to provide overnight accommodation or hotel bookings.
Are meals provided during the workshop?
Light snacks will be provided during the workshop. Full meals will not be covered by the organizers, so we recommend that you plan your dining accordingly.
Is MusIML archival, and will accepted papers appear in proceedings?
Like almost all NeurIPS workshops, MusIML is non-archival by default, so accepted papers are not published in formal proceedings. Your work therefore remains free to submit elsewhere. All accepted papers and submitted recorded videos will be published in a non-archival manner on the workshop website and YouTube channel. We will later invite a set of top selected papers for an archival opt-in.
Who do I contact with questions or concerns?
Please contact us at [email protected].