Novelist accused of using AI to write book removed from French prize list
Thélyson Orélien had been in the running to win a top literary prize before the AI claim emerged on social media
TL;DR
- The Académie Goncourt removed "C'était ça ou mourir" by Thélyson Orélien from its prize longlist.
- The decision was based on allegations that the book was "almost entirely" written by AI, initially flagged by the detection software Pangram.
- The author denied the AI allegations, calling them racially motivated and emphasizing his use of traditional Haitian and Caribbean language and rhythms.
- Further allegations of plagiarism against Orélien, including from a 1960s preface, emerged in French media.
- The anonymous account that raised the AI concerns was later identified as a columnist for the newspaper Le Figaro.
- The book's publisher in France, Grasset, sold 35,000 copies and rights to over 20 countries, and it had already won the Prix du roman Fnac.
- The Académie Goncourt stated its decision aimed to preserve the integrity of the prize and promote literature written by humans.
- The publisher in Canada, Le Éditions du Boréal, expressed inability to confirm or deny the allegations and urged against jumping to conclusions without concrete evidence.