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Agents in a Tangled Bank: An Ecosystem Approach to AI Regulation

Identification

Public canonical key
doi:10.2139/ssrn.5176993
Authors
Andrew W. Torrance · Bill Tomlinson
Reported year
2025
Reported language
en
Source type
article
First detected
2026-11-09T19:04:47.846304+00:00
Last metadata observation
2026-11-09T19:04:47.846304+00:00
Last HTTP verification
Not checked

Institutions reported by the source

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · University of California, Irvine · University of Kansas · Victoria University of Wellington

Reported affiliation countries

NZ · US

Documentary abstract — original language

As autonomous artificial intelligence agents ("Agents") become increasingly prevalent in society, legal frameworks must evolve to govern their behavior effectively. This article argues that autonomous AI agents must be understood as operating within complex ecosystems of other agents, humans, institutions, and actual biological ecosystems-similar to how biological organisms exist within broader ecosystems. Drawing on established research in multi-agent systems and environmental law, we propose that effective governance of AI agents requires moving beyond just regulation on individual agents to include system-level approaches. We examine how existing legal frameworks handle heterogeneous autonomous entities (humans, corporations, and animals) and explore how these frameworks might extend to AI agent ecosystems. Finally, we propose a set of concrete principles for ecosystem-based AI governance. This approach offers more effective ways to manage agent interactions, prevent systemic risks, and promote beneficial outcomes in increasingly complex multi-agent environments.

Identifiers

DOI
10.2139/ssrn.5176993 · 10.25148/lawrev.20.2.7
OPENALEX
W7115892541

Documentary context

Documentary family
Scholarship
Source-reported types
article
Natural entities mentioned
Ecosystem

Entity mentions are not evidence of legal recognition. Jurisdiction studied is separate from author affiliation country.

Sources

OpenAlex · Record 1 · Record 2

Documentary field provenance

Source-backed values and values with unresolved provenance are kept separately. Bibliographic provenance validates no legal claim.

Title
Documentary source reported
Publication
Documentary source reported
Authors
Documentary source reported
Document type
Documentary source reported
Jurisdiction
Not recorded
Court
Not recorded
Issuing authority
Not recorded
Publisher
Not recorded
DOI
Provenance unresolved
ISBN
Not recorded
Official identifier
Not recorded
Source URL
Provenance unresolved
Source-reported status
Not recorded
Amendment / repeal
Not recorded

Cite this reference

Andrew W. Torrance; Bill Tomlinson. Agents in a Tangled Bank: An Ecosystem Approach to AI Regulation. 2025. https://www.declarationuniverselledesdroitsdelarbre.org/global-rights-of-nature-radar/reference/r-ca72bd934acd1cdd3012bee512be25cb/

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APA, Chicago, ISO 690: bibliographic formats using available fields. OSCOLA / Bluebook: structured data only; full legal citation compliance is not claimed without verification of required elements.

APA
Andrew W. Torrance; Bill Tomlinson. (2025). Agents in a Tangled Bank: An Ecosystem Approach to AI Regulation. https://www.declarationuniverselledesdroitsdelarbre.org/global-rights-of-nature-radar/reference/r-ca72bd934acd1cdd3012bee512be25cb/
Chicago
Andrew W. Torrance; Bill Tomlinson. Agents in a Tangled Bank: An Ecosystem Approach to AI Regulation. 2025. https://www.declarationuniverselledesdroitsdelarbre.org/global-rights-of-nature-radar/reference/r-ca72bd934acd1cdd3012bee512be25cb/
ISO 690
Andrew W. Torrance; Bill Tomlinson. Agents in a Tangled Bank: An Ecosystem Approach to AI Regulation. 2025. https://www.declarationuniverselledesdroitsdelarbre.org/global-rights-of-nature-radar/reference/r-ca72bd934acd1cdd3012bee512be25cb/

UDTR Global Rights of Nature Legal Library. Agents in a Tangled Bank: An Ecosystem Approach to AI Regulation. Documentary record: https://www.declarationuniverselledesdroitsdelarbre.org/global-rights-of-nature-radar/reference/r-ca72bd934acd1cdd3012bee512be25cb/ · Last HTTP verification: not performed

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Field provenance and record version

Version 5935f12d7fd84c81 · udtr-reference-1.1.2

Title
OpenAlex · source · 2026-11-09T19:04:47.846304+00:00
Authors
OpenAlex · source · 2026-11-09T19:04:47.846304+00:00
Year
OpenAlex · source · 2026-11-09T19:04:47.846304+00:00
Identifiers
OpenAlex · source · 2026-11-09T19:04:47.846304+00:00
Source URL
OpenAlex · source · 2026-11-09T19:04:47.846304+00:00

History tracks record metadata and does not certify the state of the law.

faa824a1af35bc9a · 2026-11-09T19:04:47.846304+00:00

3c4dd25a272b0587 · 2026-11-09T19:04:47.846304+00:00

538036b1622e12aa · 2026-11-09T19:04:47.846304+00:00

5935f12d7fd84c81 · 2026-11-09T19:04:47.846304+00:00

Frozen-version metadata

Research dossiers and documentary relations

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

University of California, Irvine

University of Kansas

Victoria University of Wellington

Andrew W. Torrance

Bill Tomlinson

Source roles

Bibliographic / original publication source · https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5176993

Discovery source · https://doi.org/10.25148/lawrev.20.2.7

Discovery source · https://openalex.org/W7115892541

An authority link alone does not verify a legal claim. Abstracts and full texts remain subject to their source terms.

Documentary status

Relevance pending

Library

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