2016/12/13 by Sam Work, Work, Sam
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · Social Sciences · #Complex Network Analysis Techniques #Computers and Society (cs.CY) #Ethics and Social Impacts of AI #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Machine Learning (cs.LG) #Open Source Software Innovations
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1612.04108
openalex publication_date 2016/12/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
This MSc dissertation considers the effects of the current corporate interest on researchers in the field of machine learning. Situated within the field's cyclical history of academic, public and corporate interest, this dissertation investigates how current researchers view recent developments and negotiate their own research practices within an environment of increased commercial interest and funding. The original research consists of in-depth interviews with 12 machine learning researchers working in both academia and industry. Building on theory from science, technology and society studies, this dissertation problematizes the traditional narratives of the neoliberalization of academic research by allowing the researchers themselves to discuss how their career choices, working environments and interactions with others in the field have been affected by the reinvigorated corporate interest of recent years.