Amid growing societal discourse and policy debates on Artificial Intelligence (AI), recent survey research underscores that ethical dilemmas and societal concerns have increasingly permeated the AI research community itself. This study investigates the extent to which these issues are reflected in, or drive, the research conducted by AI scientists and developers. Utilizing a dataset of top-tier conference papers across multiple AI subfields and Arxiv submissions from 2014 onward, we analyze the integration of societal influence—defined as the incorporation of ethical values and societal concerns into research motivations, design, and outcomes. We further explore who is addressing these challenges, with a specific focus on the role of interdisciplinary teams and corporate-affiliated researchers. Lastly, we evaluate the academic impact of value-driven research by assessing its visibility through citation networks and recognition within the AI community. As public discourse on AI's societal implications intensifies, this study provides a systematic evaluation of whether and how these concerns are embedded in the research agendas of those advancing AI technologies. By identifying patterns of adoption, collaboration, and academic influence, our findings shed light on the evolving relationship between societal priorities and technological development, offering critical insights for policymakers and public policy discussions on how AI research can meaningfully address societal challenges.