Goncours Prize Removes Novel Amid AI Authorship Allegations
France's prestigious Goncours Prize has removed bestseller "C'etait Ca ou Mourir" by Haitian-Canadian author T Sylvian Aurelien from its longlist due to accusations of AI authorship. Aurelien denies the claims.
Paris – The Goncours Prize, France's most renowned literary award, has removed the bestselling novel "C'etait Ca ou Mourir" (Roughly translated: "It was either this or death") by Haitian-Canadian author T Sylvian Aurelien from its preliminary selection. The decision follows allegations that Aurelien used artificial intelligence (AI) to write the book.
Aurelien has denied the claims of AI usage. The controversy has sparked broader discussions about race, literary value, and originality within French literary circles.
The allegations, initially raised on social media, stated that an AI detection tool, "Pangram," indicated the novel was "almost entirely written by AI." However, some experts have questioned the reliability of such detection tools.
In addition to the AI controversy, Aurelien has also faced accusations of plagiarism in his earlier works. The Goncours Academy, which oversees the prize, stated that the removal was made to preserve the integrity and credibility of the award.
The Academy emphasized its commitment to promoting and recognizing literary works "created by human authors." They also expressed strong opposition to the "use of AI-generated texts in creation" and will not comment further until the shortlist is announced on October 6.