A moment at the ICLR 2026 Conference in Brazil has gone viral after Peyman Milanfar criticised the introduction of keynote speaker Katie Bouman, known for her role in capturing the first image of a black hole.
In a post on X, Milanfar called the introduction a “train wreck,” saying it failed to meet basic professional standards. He pointed out that the presenter, described by attendees as Indian, read from a phone while the same text was projected on screen, and failed to maintain proper engagement with Bouman, who was waiting on stage.
this train wreck introduction is an example of how not to do it.
1. Ditch the phone, come prepared,
2. Bring them up after the intro, not during.
3. Acknowledge the speaker, make eye contact
4. Never call the rest of their resume a "waste of time” pic.twitter.com/2rOyyMIGws— Peyman Milanfar (@docmilanfar) April 26, 2026
The presenter reportedly paused mid-introduction, saying continuing would be a “waste” of time before inviting her to speak. Milanfar criticised the lack of eye contact and said proper etiquette was not followed.
The video sparked mixed reactions online. Many users agreed with Milanfar, calling the introduction disrespectful and poorly prepared, especially given Bouman’s contributions to the black hole imaging project. Others argued the remark may have been an unintended slip referring to the large number of her achievements rather than disrespect.
Some defended the organiser, saying minor errors can occur in live conference settings. However, Milanfar maintained that the introduction did not reflect expected professional standards and suggested a simple respectful introduction would have been more appropriate.
