The Grey Hoodie Project: Big Tobacco, Big Tech, and the threat on academic integrity

TL;DR

This paper investigates how Big Tech influences academic research and discourse through funding strategies, drawing parallels with Big Tobacco to highlight potential conflicts of interest and impacts on policy advice.

Contribution

It reveals the tactics used by Big Tech to sway academia, emphasizing the need for institutions to scrutinize funding sources and establish appropriate limitations.

Findings

Big Tech funds influence research agendas and questions.

Funding affects academic independence and public perception.

Strategies are similar to those historically used by Big Tobacco.

Abstract

As governmental bodies rely on academics' expert advice to shape policy regarding Artificial Intelligence, it is important that these academics not have conflicts of interests that may cloud or bias their judgement. Our work explores how Big Tech can actively distort the academic landscape to suit its needs. By comparing the well-studied actions of another industry (Big Tobacco) to the current actions of Big Tech we see similar strategies employed by both industries. These strategies enable either industry to sway and influence academic and public discourse. We examine the funding of academic research as a tool used by Big Tech to put forward a socially responsible public image, influence events hosted by and decisions made by funded universities, influence the research questions and plans of individual scientists, and discover receptive academics who can be leveraged. We demonstrate how Big Tech can affect academia from the institutional level down to individual researchers. Thus, we believe that it is vital, particularly for universities and other institutions of higher learning, to discuss the appropriateness and the tradeoffs of accepting funding from Big Tech, and what limitations or conditions should be put in place.