  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.
