Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) Conference Guide
By
Ethan Fahey
•
Nov 17, 2025
The Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) is a leading global organization focused on moving the fields of computational linguistics and NLP forward. It provides a wealth of resources, including conferences, journals, and specialized working groups, that help professionals stay connected to cutting-edge research and industry trends.
For recruiters and AI engineers in the business world, the ACL is a great way to understand where the field is heading and what skills top talent is developing. Platforms like Fonzi AI build on this by connecting companies with AI engineers who actively engage with communities like the ACL, ensuring you’re meeting candidates who stay current, innovative, and aligned with the latest advancements in NLP.
Key Takeaways
The Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL), founded in 1962, aims to promote research and collaboration in natural language processing and computational linguistics, providing resources and networking opportunities for its members.
The ACL 2025 annual meeting that took place from July 27 to August 1 in Vienna, Austria, featured workshops, speaker sessions, and networking events, while also accommodating virtual participation.
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) within the ACL enhance specific research areas, offering members valuable resources and networking while influencing broader organizational initiatives and funding opportunities.
Understanding the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL)
The Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) was founded in 1962. It was originally named the Association for Machine Translation and Computational Linguistics (AMTCL), an acronym that reflected its initial focus. The name change in 1968 to its current form reflected a broader focus on computational linguistics. This shift was significant as it marked the organization’s commitment to encompassing a wider range of computational approaches to understanding and processing natural language.
As a global professional organization, the ACL serves individuals engaged in natural language processing (NLP) and computational linguistics. Its primary focus is on fostering innovative research and collaboration in these fields. The ACL provides a platform for researchers and practitioners to share their work, connect with peers, and stay updated on the latest advancements. The organization’s efforts have significantly contributed to the recognition and growth of computational linguistics as a discipline, influencing both academic research and industry practices.
Being part of the ACL community means having access to a wealth of resources and opportunities to advance one’s knowledge and career. The ACL Anthology, for instance, is a comprehensive digital archive of research papers and conference proceedings, providing invaluable insights into the evolution and current trends in the field.
Engaging with the ACL keeps members at the forefront of developments in language processing and computational reasoning.
Annual Meeting Highlights
The ACL’s annual meeting is recognized as one of the leading venues for disseminating cutting-edge research in natural language processing. Scheduled for July 27 to August 1, 2025, in Vienna, Austria, the 63rd Annual Meeting was a landmark event in the field. The ACL aims to alternate its meeting locations among continents, ensuring global participation and diverse perspectives.
Key events at the annual meeting include:
Workshops and tutorials on the opening day, providing attendees with hands-on learning experiences and in-depth discussions on specific topics.
Notable speaker sessions featuring renowned experts who share their insights and latest research findings.
A variety of workshops covering a broad spectrum of topics, fostering a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment.
In addition to the formal sessions, the annual meeting is a hub for networking and professional development. Attendees have the opportunity to connect with peers, potential collaborators, and industry leaders.
Those unable to attend in person can often participate virtually, ensuring access to the latest news and advancements for a broader audience. Stay tuned for announcements and updates as the event approaches, ensuring you don’t miss out on this pivotal gathering of the computational linguistics community.
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and Their Impact
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) within the ACL play a crucial role in advancing specific areas of natural language processing. These groups focus on niche topics, fostering innovation and collaboration among researchers who share common interests. The activities of SIGs often lead to the organization of workshops, conferences, and specialized sessions, enhancing knowledge sharing and driving progress in their respective fields.
Membership in SIGs provides researchers with access to community resources, networking opportunities, and collaborative projects. This involvement can be particularly beneficial for early-career professionals looking to establish themselves in the field. Joining a SIG keeps members informed about the latest developments, allows participation in discussions on emerging technologies, and enables contributions to initiatives addressing pressing issues in computational linguistics.
SIGs also influence the broader ACL organization by promoting specific research areas and shaping funding opportunities and research agendas. Each SIG has the autonomy to initiate special programs or initiatives, ensuring that its focus areas receive the attention and resources needed to thrive. For those interested in a particular aspect of natural language processing, joining a SIG can be a valuable way to deepen their expertise and make meaningful contributions to the field.
Transactions of the Association for Computational Linguistics (TACL)
The Transactions of the Association for Computational Linguistics (TACL) is a prestigious journal published by MIT Press, dedicated to significant research contributions in computational linguistics. TACL serves as a platform for disseminating innovative methodologies and findings, ensuring that high-quality research reaches a wide audience. The journal’s emphasis on rigorous peer review maintains scholarly standards and promotes excellence in the field.
Recent issues of TACL have featured studies on a variety of topics, including domain adaptation for question answering and the use of transformers in syntactic representation. These papers reflect the journal’s commitment to covering a broad spectrum of research areas and addressing both theoretical and practical aspects of natural language processing. Publishing pioneering research, TACL advances the field and serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners alike.
The history of TACL is intertwined with the ACL’s efforts to formalize the documentation of its annual meetings. Since 1979, the ACL has been publishing its proceedings, marking a transition to more structured and accessible dissemination of research. Today, TACL continues this legacy by offering a venue for high-impact papers that push the boundaries of what is possible in computational linguistics and natural language understanding.
ACL 2025 Conference Overview
The ACL 2025 conference took place from July 27 to August 1, 2025, in Vienna, Austria. The event schedule includes:
Registration opened on May 21, 2025
Welcome reception on July 27, 2025
Main conference sessions from July 28 to July 30, 2025, featuring presentations by leading researchers on the latest findings and innovations in the field.
Workshops scheduled for July 31 and August 1, 2025 provided additional opportunities for in-depth learning and collaboration. A guide for presenters was released on June 27, ensuring that all participants are well-prepared to share their work and meet deadlines.
The conference promises an enriching experience with a mix of formal presentations, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities catering to a diverse audience of computational linguistics professionals at the premier conference.
Accepted Papers and Key Research Areas
The ACL 2025 conference has accepted a range of papers that address diverse research areas in natural language processing. One of the notable papers is ‘EcomScriptBench,’ which focuses on a benchmark for e-commerce script planning. This study highlights the importance of creating realistic and intention-driven product associations, which can enhance the user experience in e-commerce platforms.
Another significant contribution is a framework for learning preferential prompts through adversarial policy optimization. This research explores how to optimize prompts in a way that aligns with user preferences, improving the effectiveness of language models in various applications.
Additionally, a study on narrating explanations from graph learning models in an information-rich context offered valuable insights into improving the interpretability of complex AI systems.
The conference also featured work on evaluating reward models in multilingual settings and addressing challenges of fine-tuning large language models. These papers reflect the ongoing efforts to push the boundaries of what is possible with NLP technologies, ensuring that they remain relevant and impactful across different languages and contexts.
The diversity of acceptance papers underscores the vibrancy and innovation within the computational linguistics community, which has received significant attention from Dianna Yee.
How to Get Involved with the ACL Community
Getting involved with the ACL community offers numerous opportunities for researchers to advance their careers and contribute to the field. One of the primary ways to engage is by submitting papers through platforms like OpenReview, which:
Facilitates the review process
Provides transparency
Ensures that the submission and review process is fair and open
Encourages high-quality contributions from researchers worldwide.
Participating in the pre-submission mentorship program is another excellent way to enhance the quality of research papers before they are submitted. This program pairs less experienced researchers with seasoned mentors who provide valuable feedback and guidance.
Additionally, the submission process for workshops includes both archival and non-archival options, catering to different research needs and preferences. Taking advantage of these opportunities allows researchers to make meaningful contributions to the ACL community and remain at the forefront of advancements in computational linguistics.
The Role of AI in Modern Hiring Practices
Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly significant role in modern hiring practices, transforming how companies evaluate and select candidates. AI enhances recruitment by focusing on objective qualifications and experiences, minimizing the impact of demographic factors and potential biases. Fonzi, a curated talent marketplace, exemplifies this approach by employing automated candidate evaluations to ensure consistent assessments and fair treatment of all applicants.
Integrating AI with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) automates repetitive tasks, allowing recruiters to focus on strategic decision-making and human interactions. Fonzi’s design aims to reduce bias, protect the candidate experience, and speed up the hiring timeline, ensuring that both employers and job seekers benefit from a more efficient and transparent process.
Leveraging AI responsibly enhances hiring practices, ensuring the best candidates are selected while maintaining fairness and inclusivity.
Preparing for a Career in AI and NLP
Preparing for a career in AI and NLP requires a combination of technical skills, practical experience, and a deep understanding of the latest advancements in the field. Aspiring NLP engineers should be ready for tough interviews that assess their previous experiences and projects, along with technical queries about NLP concepts. Mock interviews can help candidates build confidence and improve their responses to common NLP interview questions.
Candidates must demonstrate:
Practical experience in NLP projects, showcasing their ability to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios.
Understanding of fundamental concepts such as tokenization, embeddings, and machine learning.
Staying informed about the latest advancements in AI and NLP, including technologies like transformers.
These elements are essential for success in NLP job interviews and for impressing interviewers.
Structured interviews help mitigate bias by ensuring every candidate is asked the same questions, focusing evaluations on skills and experiences. Diverse interview panels are recommended to reduce biases, as they bring multiple perspectives into the hiring decision process.
Ongoing monitoring and bias audits in recruitment practices are essential for identifying and addressing hidden biases in hiring. Following these practical tips helps candidates effectively prepare for interviews, showcase their skills, and succeed in the competitive artificial intelligence job market.
Introducing Fonzi: A Curated Talent Marketplace
Fonzi is a curated talent marketplace designed specifically for job-seeking artificial intelligence engineers, machine learning researchers, infrastructure engineers, and large language model specialists. It connects elite AI engineers with leading tech companies, streamlining the hiring process and ensuring that both candidates and employers find the best matches. Fonzi charges companies an 18% success fee based on the hired candidate’s first-year salary, with no upfront costs, making it an attractive option for employers.
Focusing on high-quality candidates and top-tier companies, Fonzi ensures an efficient and effective hiring process. Candidates benefit from a streamlined application process, while companies gain access to a pool of highly skilled professionals. Fonzi’s approach to reducing bias and protecting the candidate experience sets it apart in the competitive hiring landscape.
For job-seeking AI professionals, Fonzi provides a transparent and supportive environment to navigate the complexities of the modern job market. With its focus on quality and fairness, Fonzi is redefining how AI engineers connect with employers, making the hiring process more efficient and rewarding for all parties involved.
Match Day: Maximizing Your Opportunities
Fonzi’s Match Day is a pivotal event designed to streamline the hiring process for both candidates and companies. Key features include:
A 48-hour event where companies present salary-backed job offers to candidates, ensuring transparency and efficiency.
Candidates apply just once to Fonzi and can receive multiple job offers from different companies during Match Day.
An efficient way for candidates to explore various job opportunities.
The process on Match Day ensures that candidates can select companies they wish to interview with, providing them with control and clarity in their job search. A personal Concierge Recruiter assists candidates throughout the hiring journey, offering support and guidance to help them make informed decisions. This personalized assistance enhances the candidate experience, ensuring that they feel valued and supported throughout the process.
Fonzi’s Match Day offers the following features:
Open to top-tier engineers and high-quality companies, ensuring a strong match between candidates and employers.
No fees are charged to candidates for participating, making it accessible for job seekers.
Provides a high-signal, efficient way for candidates to get in front of leading companies and maximize their career opportunities.
Summary
The ACL Conference is a premier event that brings together the brightest minds in computational linguistics and natural language processing. By attending, you can gain valuable insights, connect with peers, and contribute to the advancement of the field. The conference offers a range of events, including workshops, tutorials, and notable speaker sessions, ensuring a rich and diverse experience for all attendees.
In addition to exploring the ACL Conference, this guide has introduced Fonzi, a curated talent marketplace that connects top-tier AI professionals with leading companies. Fonzi’s innovative approach to hiring, including its Match Day event, provides a transparent and efficient way for candidates to find the best job opportunities. By leveraging AI responsibly, Fonzi ensures a fair and supportive hiring process. As you prepare for a successful career in AI and NLP, take advantage of these opportunities to enhance your skills, showcase your talents, and connect with the best in the industry.
