AI Authorship Claims Target Prize Contender 'C'était ça ou mourir'
Anonymous AI detector results spark controversy around Haitian-Canadian author Thélyson Orélien's debut novel, prompting a wave of support from fellow writers.
KEY POINTS
- Anonymous account used Pangram AI detector to claim Orélien's novel is 100% AI-written.
- Novel is a contender for major French prizes (Goncourt, Renaudot, Femina, Médicis).
- Publisher Grasset denied allegations, calling detectors unreliable and the book distinct from AI works.
- Prominent Quebec authors and public figures publicly declared support for Orélien.
- Orélien denies using AI; the book has sold over 35,000 copies and is translated into 20+ languages.
An anonymous X account, "Balance ton Claude," claimed on September 21 that the US tool Pangram identified Thélyson Orélien's novel as almost entirely AI-generated. The allegation quickly spread, threatening the book's standing on the longlists for the Goncourt, Renaudot, Femina, and Médicis prizes.
Publisher Grasset initially dismissed the claims as "fake news," questioning the reliability of AI detectors. By Tuesday evening, the publisher issued a stronger defense, asserting the novel's individuality contrasts sharply with actual AI-generated books flooding the market.
“I find it really terrible for him, because it's an accusation from which it is impossible to defend oneself.”
A wave of public support emerged from prominent Quebec literary figures. Authors Laura-Ève Lambert, India Desjardins, Pascale Cormier, and former politician Catherine Dorion all posted "I believe Thélyson Orélien" on social media. Tech columnist Bruno Guglielminetti urged readers to judge the book themselves.
Lambert warned the accusation is "impossible to defend against" and that literary juries are typically "very wary" of such controversies. The novel, translated into over 20 languages, has sold more than 35,000 copies.
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