  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.
