Message from ACM President Elisa Bertino

July 23, 2026

A Message to the ACM Community:

Many members have shared thoughtful perspectives regarding a recent Communications of the ACM opinion piece discussing the possibility of opening the ACM Digital Library for large language model (LLM) training. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to engage and share your views.

I want to reiterate one critical point: ACM has not made any decision regarding whether or how the Digital Library might be used for LLM training.

The recent opinion article was one part of a broader effort led by ACM's Publications Board and Digital Library Board to gather community input before any decisions are made. The Boards have been actively discussing the implications of AI for scholarly publishing and the future of the Digital Library for some time, and the article and accompanying survey were intended to give ACM members an opportunity to help inform those ongoing conversations.

The feedback we have received reflects how deeply our members care about the future of the ACM Digital Library, scholarly publishing, and the stewardship of the research entrusted to ACM. That level of engagement reinforces exactly why these discussions deserve careful consideration and broad community input. Responses submitted through the survey and other channels are being shared with the Publications Board and Digital Library Board and will help inform their continued evaluation of this issue.

The decisions ACM makes regarding the stewardship of the scholarly record and its dissemination through the ACM Digital Library have lasting implications for authors, researchers, practitioners, and the future of computing scholarship. They deserve a thoughtful, transparent process that reflects the trust our members place in the organization and the role ACM plays in advancing the computing profession.

Thank you again to everyone who has contributed to this conversation. Your engagement is an important part of ensuring ACM continues to serve the computing community thoughtfully and responsibly.

For members who have not yet shared their perspectives, the community feedback survey remains open, and we encourage you to participate.

—Elisa Bertino, ACM President