Reassessing Big Tech's Role in AI Research: A New Perspective

Recent research has examined the influence of major technology companies on artificial intelligence (AI) research, focusing on how ideas are attributed to different affiliations. The paper titled "Big Tech influence over AI research revisited: memetic analysis of attribution of ideas to affiliation" by Stanisław Giziński and colleagues provides insights into this topic. The authors argue that the current understanding of Big Tech's dominance in AI research is often oversimplified. They emphasize that influence should not only be measured by the volume of publications but also by the propagation of ideas, or 'memes'.

Using network and memetic analysis on AI-related paper abstracts and citation networks, the researchers utilized two extensive databases, OpenAlex and S2ORC, to conduct a more comprehensive analysis than previous studies. Their findings indicate that while papers affiliated with Big Tech are cited more frequently in certain areas, the most cited works often involve collaborations between Big Tech and academic institutions. Furthermore, the distribution of ideas attributed to Big Tech, academia, and mixed affiliations appears to be relatively balanced.

These results suggest a more nuanced view of the influence of Big Tech in AI research, challenging the prevailing narrative of unilateral dominance. The implications of this study could affect how researchers and policymakers understand the dynamics of AI development and the role of various institutions in shaping the future of this field. For further details, the paper can be accessed at arXiv:2312.12881.