Goncourt Academy Withdraws Orélien's Novel Over AI Claims

The Académie Goncourt announced the removal of Thélyson Orélien's novel, "C’était ça ou mourir," from its longlist for the prestigious Goncourt literary prize following allegations that the book was largely produced using artificial intelligence. The decision was made to protect the integrity of the prize.

The novel, published by Grasset in August, tells the story of a teacher escaping gang violence in Haiti and has sold approximately 35,000 copies. The AI allegations surfaced on September 21, coinciding with the book receiving the Prix du roman Fnac, when an anonymous account claimed it was "almost entirely" AI-generated.

Orélien, 38, rejected these allegations, suggesting they were racially motivated. The controversy escalated with separate plagiarism allegations, claiming parts of the book were taken from Louis Pauwels’ 1960 work.

The Académie Goncourt, initially cautious, cited both the plagiarism and findings from researchers in its decision to withdraw the novel.