Haitian-born Quebecois author Thélyson Orélien has denied allegations that he used artificial intelligence to write his debut novel, C’était Ça ou Mourir, which has received critical acclaim and been nominated for several literary prizes.
The controversy began after an anonymous account on X, identified as “Balance ton Claude,” claimed that the novel had been produced almost entirely with the help of artificial intelligence.
The account reportedly cited the results of an AI-detection tool as evidence for its allegation, prompting discussions online about the book’s authorship and the growing use of artificial intelligence in literature.
Orélien, however, has rejected the accusation and maintained that he is the author of the work.
The debut novel, which explores migration and displacement, has become a literary success in France and is reportedly set to be published in more than 20 countries.
The controversy has also raised questions about the reliability of AI-detection tools. Such tools can identify patterns associated with machine-generated text, but their results are not by themselves definitive proof that a particular work was written using AI.
The dispute comes at a time of growing debate within the publishing industry over the use of generative AI in creative writing, including questions about authorship, disclosure and the role of human writers.
Orélien’s case has attracted particular attention because his debut has received recognition in the literary world, making the allegation potentially significant for both the author and the prizes for which his work has been considered.
As the controversy continues, the author maintains that the novel is his own work, while the allegations remain the subject of public debate.
