The now-viral video shows a casually dressed presenter reading Bouman’s introduction from a phone (Image source: @docmilanfar/X)A senior Google researcher openly criticised how Caltech professor Katie Bouman was introduced at the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR) 2026 in Brazil, calling the moment a “train wreck” and a clear example of poor professional conduct during a keynote introduction.Peyman Milanfar, a noted scientist who heads Google’s computational imaging group, spoke out after a video of Bouman’s introduction went viral.Google, along with Apple, was among the key sponsors of the global machine learning conference.The now-viral video shows a casually dressed presenter reading Bouman’s introduction from a phone while the same text appears on a large screen behind him. Bouman, known for her role in producing the first-ever image of a black hole, stood off to the side of the stage during the introduction.While listing her accomplishments, the presenter abruptly stopped, remarking that he did not want to “waste” his time continuing, before inviting her to the stage.Slamming him on X, Milanfar shared the video and wrote, “This train wreck introduction is an example of how not to do it.” He then outlined what he described as basic standards for professionalism.“Ditch the phone, come prepared.”“Bring them up after the intro, not during.”“Acknowledge the speaker, make eye contact,”“Never call the rest of their resume a ‘waste of time’.”Story continues below this adIn another thread, Milanfar acknowledged the possibility that the remark may have been unintended but maintained that the overall delivery was still far from acceptable. “Yes, a slip of the tongue. Yes, totally unprofessional, even setting that aside,” he wrote.Watch here: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 contact4. Never call the rest of their resume a “waste of time” pic.twitter.com/2rOyyMIGws— Peyman Milanfar (@docmilanfar) April 26, 2026Also Read | Iran mocks Trump with Lego-style diss track after White House dinner scare, watchThe video gained traction, sparking a discussion on professionalism and fairness in public speaking.“This seems unfair. “And many awards, … I don’t want to waste my time” were his words. I took this to mean enumerating all her awards would exhaust his time to intro her, as there were so many. This can be interpreted as flattering, not malicious,” Jelani Nelson, a researcher at Google, wrote.“Eh. Different norms. Feynman didn’t want to dress up to get his Nobel. And this guy is there in shorts. And she looks happy enough. Not everyone has to wear a suit and tie,” another user commented.“Calling her work a “waste of his time” is distasteful,” a third user reacted.Story continues below this adDISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this report highlight personal observations regarding civic habits and environmental concerns; they are not intended as a definitive assessment of any specific region or community. Public hygiene is a shared effort, and readers are encouraged to follow local waste management guidelines to help preserve natural and heritage sites. © IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Google