Novelist's book pulled from Goncourt prize longlist over AI authorship claim

The organisers of France's prestigious Goncourt literary prize have withdrawn a novel by Canadian-Haitian writer Thélyson Orélien from the longlist, after an anonymous online account claimed the book was "almost entirely" written using artificial intelligence.

The novel, titled C'était ça ou mourir (It Was That or Die), had been in contention for the award before the claim emerged on social media, prompting the Académie Goncourt, the Paris-based organisation that administers the prize, to act.

Protecting the prize's integrity

The Académie Goncourt said its decision to withdraw the novel was driven by a desire to preserve the integrity of the prize and of the academy itself, which it said has a central role in promoting and honouring literature written by human authors.

The episode highlights a growing tension within the literary world over the use of artificial intelligence tools in creative writing, as AI-generated or AI-assisted text becomes more sophisticated and, in some cases, harder to distinguish from human-authored work.

It was not immediately clear what evidence, if any, substantiated the anonymous account's claim, or whether Orélien has publicly responded to the allegation. The case is likely to fuel ongoing debate about how literary institutions should verify authorship and address AI-related controversies going forward.

The Goncourt prize is one of France's most prestigious literary honours, and past controversies over submissions have at times drawn significant public attention to questions of authenticity and eligibility in literary competitions.