aiqbench analysis
This position paper argues that the disproportionate influence of big tech in AI research prioritizes scaling and general-purpose systems over ethical and sustainable development. The authors link current environmental and societal harms directly to these corporate-driven economic forces and call for collective action among researchers to counteract irresponsible development trajectories.
Irresponsible AI: big tech's influence on AI research and associated impacts
arXiv:2512.03077v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: The accelerated development, deployment and adoption of artificial intelligence systems has been fuelled by the increasing presence of big tech in the AI field. This trend has been accompanied by growing ethical concerns and intensified societal and environmental impacts. This position paper argues that irresponsible AI development is strongly driven by big tech's influence and involvement in the field. First, we examine the growing and disproportionate influence of big tech in AI research and argue that its drive for scaling and general-purpose systems is fundamentally at odds with the responsible, ethical, and sustainable development of AI. Second, we review key current environmental and societal negative impacts of AI and trace their connections to big tech's influence. Third, we discuss the underlying economic forces driving big tech's actions. Finally, as a call to action, we invite AI researchers to counter big tech's influence in irresponsible AI development through strategies that build on the responsibility of implicated actors and collective action.
Abstract:The accelerated development, deployment and adoption of artificial intelligence systems has been fuelled by the increasing presence of big tech in the AI field. This trend has been accompanied by growing ethical concerns and intensified societal and environmental impacts. This position paper argues that irresponsible AI development is strongly driven by big tech's influence and involvement in the field. First, we examine the growing and disproportionate influence of big tech in AI research and argue that its drive for scaling and general-purpose systems is fundamentally at odds with the responsible, ethical, and sustainable development of AI. Second, we review key current environmental and societal negative impacts of AI and trace their connections to big tech's influence. Third, we discuss the underlying economic forces driving big tech's actions. Finally, as a call to action, we invite AI researchers to counter big tech's influence in irresponsible AI development through strategies that build on the responsibility of implicated actors and collective action.
Presented as a spotlight oral at the International Conference on Machine Learning 2026 (Position Paper Track). First version presented at NeurIPS 2025 Workshop on Algorithmic Collective Action
Computers and Society (cs.CY); Artificial Intelligence (cs.AI)
arXiv:2512.03077 [cs.CY]
(or arXiv:2512.03077v2 [cs.CY] for this version)
Full text under the publisher's open licence · 201 words
