About
The Beyond the Model Meeting (BTMM) is an informal gathering focused on software engineering for building applications with machine-learning components. The meeting aims to foster collaboration and exchange ideas among researchers working on various aspects of integrating ML components into software systems. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Process and requirements for ML-powered systems
- User-interaction design for ML-powered systems
- Quality assurance and safety engineering for ML-powered systems
- Operations for ML-powered systems
- Regulatory oversight for ML-powered systems
The meeting is modeled after the Feature-Oriented Software Development (FOSD) meetings. It features a supportive environment where participants present their research, receive feedback, and engage in discussions. The primary objective is to bring together researchers at different career stages, including undergraduate and early-career graduate students, to share ideas and initiate collaborations.
Note: This meeting is not a publication venue. Participants can present previously published work or work in progress, with an emphasis on fostering discussions and collaborations rather than producing proceedings.
Scope
The BTMM focuses on software engineering activities relevant to building software applications with ML components (including LLMs). It adopts a system view, considering the entire system and its environment beyond the model. Both technical and empirical work is welcome. The following topics are in scope:
- Work considering ML components in the context of a system
- Activities across the software lifecycle related to ML component integration
The following are out of scope:
- Exclusively model-centric work (e.g., fairness testing of models without system consideration)
- Work using ML to support software engineering tasks (e.g., LLMs for code generation)
Important Dates
| Abstract Submission Deadline | Recommended by March 31st, 2026, but accepted on a rolling basis until all slots are taken |
| Beyond-the-Model Meeting 2026 | July 10 - 11, 2026 |
Meeting Format
The meeting consists of short presentations (10-15 minutes) from each participant, followed by ample time for discussion. Presentations can cover:
- Planned research
- Ongoing projects
- Published work
Attending / Registration
Participant registration is now closed! We’re excited to meet everyone soon.
Participants
| Name | Title | University |
|---|---|---|
| Shurui Zhou | University of Toronto | |
| Jin Guo | McGill University | |
| Veronica Xia | Questions for Contestable Design: A Design Tool for User Dispute of Algorithmic Systems | McGill University |
| Kimberly Hau | University of Toronto | |
| Christian Kästner | On Risks and Correctness in ML Systems | Carnegie Mellon University |
| Pooyan Jamshidi | Measuring Legal Compliance in LLMs: A Causal Benchmark for Privacy | University of South Carolina |
| Alexandra González | Beyond Generic Models and Datasets: Using MLAssetSelection to Build Robust ML-Enabled Systems | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) |
| Spyridon Alvanakis Apostolou | Bridging Literature and Practice: Integrating Agentic AI into Software Product Development | Chalmers University of Technology |
| Lili Wei | McGill University | |
| Tamara Paris | Don’t Trust the Process: When Verifiability Undermines AI Accountability | McGill University and Univeristé Paris Cité |
| Shalaleh Rismani | McGill University and Mila | |
| Alina Mailach | Targeting the Hard Part: A Production Readiness Instrument to Go from Demo to Productionization of GenAI Systems | Leipzig University |
| Aren Babikian | University of Toronto | |
| Boqi Chen | University of Ottawa | |
| Ian Arawjo | evalstats: Towards robust statistical analyses of AI evaluation results | Université de Montréal |
Schedule
To be announced!
Venue & Travel Information
BTMM 2026 will take place at McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Meeting Location
To be announced!
Accommodation and Costs
- No registration fees.
- Participants cover their own transportation, accommodation, and meals.
- Sponsorships may cover group lunches or dinners, tbd.
(If you would like to volunteer to sponsor the event by paying an optional registration fee, please contact the organizers.)
Contact
For questions or further information, please contact the organizers.