France’s Goncourt literary prize pulls novel over AI concerns

A novel chronicling the odyssey of a refugee has been excluded from France’s most prestigious literary prize after its author was accused of using AI to write it.

Haitian-Canadian author Thélyson Orélien has denied the claims, which first appeared on the anonymous X account Balance ton Claude (“Expose your Claude”).

Judges for the Prix Goncourt — France’s answer to the Booker Prize — on Friday removed Orélien’s 2026 novel, C’était ça ou mourir (“It was that or die”), from the longlist for the French-language literary prize.

The decision was “dictated by the desire to preserve the integrity of the Prix Goncourt and that of the Academy, whose central role is to promote and reward literature written by women and men”, the Goncourt Academy said, adding that the book was “in all likelihood largely the product of artificial intelligence”.

The academy said its decision had been made “in light of the plagiarism its author has committed over time and which has just been revealed” and analyses by researchers and journalists.

“This is about sending a clear message . . . that we neither endorse nor condone in any way the creation of texts generated with the help of AI,” the academy added.

The bestselling novel, first published in Quebec, where the author lives, chronicles the journey of a man fleeing gang violence in Haiti, travelling through the Caribbean and South America before eventually reaching Canada.

It has already won other prestigious literary awards and was hailed by Le Monde’s critic as “establishing the ambitious and singular voice” of its author.

Orélien has denied ever using AI to write texts in an interview this week with Montreal’s La Presse newspaper. “You could give me a pen now, and I would write the same thing,” he said.

His Canadian publisher Boréal said on Thursday that it was suspending the promotional tour for the book “to ensure Thélyson Orélien’s wellbeing”.

“Unfortunately, at this stage we are unable to confirm or deny the allegations the author is facing,” the publisher said, warning against “drawing any hasty conclusions”.

Orélien and Grasset, Orélien’s French publisher, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The decision adds to growing controversy over the role of AI in society. In creative fields, it has pitted proponents of using new technologies to explore artistic horizons against those who maintain that human agency is essential to maintain authenticity in a world of fakes and AI slop.

The Balance ton Claude account is in the latter camp. “Perhaps the key takeaway from this controversy is that, judging by the scale of the scandal, the majority places great importance on authenticity,” it posted on X on Tuesday, before urging its followers to “take it easy” on Orélien.

“There is a non-zero chance (even if it is tiny) that he is acting in good faith.”

Samuel Fitoussi, VC investor and columnist for conservative newspaper Le Figaro, has admitted on X to being part of the anonymous “collective” behind the Balance Ton Claude account.

The account, which had fewer than 100 followers before the Orélien controversy, encourages its followers to denounce suspected AI slop authors. It then investigates by running their work through Pangram, an AI-detection software, and posting the results on social media.

“Although I am rather techno-optimistic, I fear that after several millennia of civilisation based on writing, AI will cause the disappearance of reading and writing,” Fitoussi wrote on X.

Fitoussi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Authors Guild, a US industry body for writers, recently tested numerous AI-detection software options. It concluded that while Pangram was among the stronger performers, “some commonly used consumer-facing AI detection tools are wildly inaccurate, which presents a major risk for authors”.

“Publishers should never cancel a contract or pull a book on the basis of accusations or use of these tools alone,” the Authors Guild added.