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A year ago, when we were predicting what the focus of 2024 should be for the publishing industry, we centered on AI—how it would be used, what regulations would be put into place, some biases and issues it creates, and how it might change publishing overall.

This year, AI is still very much a topic to focus on, but with the implementation of the European Accessibility Act, President Trump taking office again in the US, and a greater awareness of some of the bad actors and misuse of technology, there is a whole new slate of issues about which publishers should be aware.

Impact of Trump’s Second Term

This week, Donald Trump’s return to office began with him signing a record number of executive orders, some of which will impact publishing and the way the industry approaches diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), sustainability, and educational requirements dictated by school boards, state-by-state. We reviewed some of the current state requirements in a blog post last September, but as climate change and DEI legislation is changed, there may be further requirements for publishers to consider.

AI and Technology Regulations

Over the last several years, AI has been used by publishers to help with content generation, to automate parts of the publishing process, and even to help streamline peer review. What we have also seen is a good amount of caution around the use of AI and a desire to both work with AI companies to help develop AI by licensing content and by creating rules around usage, such as the STM Guidelines around the use of AI.

By aligning with Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Tim Cook, President Trump has shown that he is a supporter of the tech sector. Trump has already revoked Biden’s AI oversight order and, as we look ahead, there are many indicators that additional restrictions on technology the previous administration enacted may be lifted.

Alternately, the European Artificial Intelligence Act entered into force last autumn and the code of practice will be finalized in Spring 2025.

With these conflicting views on AI in the US and Europe, we may see a challenge in the industry on how to approach guidelines for using AI. For publishers that work both domestically and internationally, adhering to the stricter rules might prove to be a safer approach.

Paper Mills, Poor Peer Review, and Misuse of AI

Last year, headlines in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Science, Nature, and Inside Higher Ed highlighted a few issues in scholarly publishing, including paper mills infiltrating journals, struggles with adequate peer review, and the misuse of AI in various areas of the industry. In 2025, now that these problems are top-of-mind, we will see further investigation into bad actors and greater structure around how publishers will deal with these challenges.

Decentralizing of K-12 Education

The nominee for US Secretary of Education is former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, Linda McMahon. Though her experience in education is minimal, her Deputy Penny Schwinn has Board of Education or state education department experience in Texas, California, Tennessee, and Delaware, so she may rely on her insight. These nominations and appointments seem to indicate that this will further a move to send education requirements back to the states to manage.

Climate Change and Publishing

Climate change for publishers comes in two forms—publishing sustainably and including climate change science in textbooks. In the US, it appears that both may be challenged under this administration, but the larger global effort continues.

Last month at the Guadalajara International Book Fair, the United Nations and International Publishers Association focused on their Sustainable Development Goals which included supporting and sharing the research demonstrating climate change and continuing to support the SDG Publishers Compact, which recognizes the responsibility of the publishing industry to create a sustainable future through action.

Open Access and Office of Science and Technology Policy

In 2022, President Biden signed a policy that instructed all publishers of research from publicly-funded projects to make that research freely available to the public by 2025, which seems to be upheld by the new administration.

President Trump nominated technologist Michael Kratsios to be director of OSTP and an assistant to the president for science and technology. Well-known in the research community and a former researcher himself, Kratsios, who was recently the Managing Director of Scale AI, is seen as being someone that will be supportive of technological research and advancement.

European Accessibility Act

And finally, for the last six years, publishers have been preparing for the implementation date of the European Accessibility Act in June 2025. The act requires all digital products for sale in the European Union to be accessible to all users. As we near the deadline, publishers are continuing to make sure their current and future articles and books adhere to those guidelines.

Just three weeks into the year and there is already a lot for publishers to watch out for. We will keep you updated on what are sure to be further developments on these topics!

KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd. (KGL) is the industry leader in editorial, production, online hosting, and transformative services for every stage of the content lifecycle. We are your source for peer review servicesmarket analysis, intelligent automationdigital deliveryand more. Email us at info@kwglobal.com.

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