Prix Goncourt drops Canadian-Haitian author from longlist over AI allegations
The Prix Goncourt Academy has removed Canadian-Haitian writer Thélyson Orélien's acclaimed novel from its longlist after online claims that it was written using artificial intelligence, an accusation the author denies.
The Academy behind France's most prestigious literary prize, the Prix Goncourt, announced on Friday that it had withdrawn a widely praised novel by Canadian-Haitian author Thélyson Orélien from its longlist. The move follows online accusations that artificial intelligence was used to write the book.
The Academy said the decision was meant to protect the integrity of both the prize and the institution itself, whose core mission is to celebrate literature written by people. It pointed to findings suggesting the novel was "in all likelihood, very largely" produced with AI assistance, and also cited plagiarism accusations.
The claims against the novel, "It Was Either That or Die," first surfaced through an account called "Balance ton Claude" (Expose Your Claude), triggering a wave of debate across the French literary world and raising broader questions internationally about how the industry will handle the growing use of AI. The book had been among more than a dozen titles on the prize's initial longlist; a shortlist is due October 6, with the winner announced in November.
The accuser speaks out
French essayist Samuel Fitoussi, a contributor to the right-leaning Figaro newspaper, confirmed he was part of the collective behind the "Balance ton Claude" account. He said he acted out of concern that AI could eventually cause reading and writing to disappear after millennia of civilization built on the written word. He argued that as AI technology matures, it will increasingly be capable of producing outstanding work with little human input, eventually prompting writers to question the point of their craft. He added that authors who pass off AI-generated text as their own break the trust owed to readers.
Orélien, 38, a previously unknown writer whose debut novel is set for release in more than 20 countries, has firmly rejected the allegations. Speaking to the French daily Libération, he said he has always loved writing and creating and saw no reason to rely on a machine, adding that he is compiling documentation with his publishers to prove authorship.
The book's Canadian publisher, Boreal, said it had paused promotional activities for the novel to protect the author's well-being, stating it currently cannot confirm or deny the allegations and urging the public not to jump to conclusions.
