Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

An Analysis of the Publishing Industry's "Labyrinth of Responsibility" and Governance Paths in the Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence: From the Perspective of Actor-Network Theory

Yuwen CaoBeijing Normal University* Jiahua ChenBeijing Normal University

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

The rapid advancement of generative AI is reshaping the publishing industry, enhancing efficiency while triggering a severe responsibility and ethics crisis. It disrupts the traditional linear responsibility chain among authors, editors, and publishers, creating a "responsibility vacuum" and "responsibility gap" .This study employs actor-network theory and distributed responsibility theory to analyze publishing as a heterogeneous network of human and non-human actors. It reveals how responsibility is dynamically "translated" and "distributed" within this network, identifying three mechanisms behind the "responsibility maze": asymmetric human-AI dependence, responsibility shirking among actors, and AI's unexpected autonomy. A multi-layered governance path is proposed, centered on forward-looking, proportional, and traceable responsibility, advocating for standards across micro, meso, and macro levels to foster a trustworthy human-machine collaborative publishing ecosystem.

Keywords: Generative artificial intelligence; responsibility; publishing ethics; actor network theory; distributed responsibility
Published: December 4, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.BJ30195
Volume: CHR Vol.96
pp. 149-155
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