Ye Olde Printing Press Can Help Us Understand AI Regulation

History rhymes.

STARTER STATS

• ~85% of Canadians want AI to be regulated for ethical and safe use, according to a Leger poll from August 2025

• Key areas of concern: privacy (83%), work disruption (78%), societal over-dependence (83%), and cognitive decline (46%)

---

A new paper from McGill University researchers draws intriguing parallels between the regulation of the printing press in early modern England and how we might better govern contemporary artificial intelligence systems. The work describes how the challenges we face today — tech disruption, power concentration, and evolving social norms — aren’t unique.

The study examines legal responses spanning more than two centuries. It shows how printers, state authorities, and authors negotiated issues of monopoly, censorship, and control as the new printing press technology transformed communication. The paper argues that similar dynamics, like concentration of power, economic stakes, and stakeholder alliances, are at play in AI regulation today.

History tells us that tech regulation is as much about who regulates and participates as it is about what is regulated. And the study's findings suggest that AI regulation should take into account broader institutions, incentives, and power structures.

“Just as economic power and direct involvement shaped regulation in the past, today’s tech giants influence how AI is governed. Similarly, while the printing press transformed knowledge into a commodity, AI is now driving the commodification of data. Learning from history suggests that involving a broad range of stakeholders is essential to avoid monopolization, ensure transparency, and protect public interest."

— Ali Ekber Cinar

Read More →