Culture
Book Disqualified from Prix Goncourt Due to AI Use and Plagiarism Allegations
/s3/static.nrc.nl/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/25193823/250926VER_2036993578_Orelien.jpg)
The Académie Goncourt removed Thélyson Orélien’s novel C’était ça ou mourir from the longlist for the prestigious French literary prize following allegations of artificial intelligence usage and plagiarism. The organization stated it aims to protect the integrity of the award and signal that it does not condone AI-assisted writing, citing concerns that the book was largely generated by AI. While Orélien denies using AI, attributing repetitive elements to Haitian-Caribbean literary traditions, Canadian media reported instances of plagiarism in his earlier works. Despite the disqualification, the novel remains a commercial success, having won the Fnac novel prize and secured translation rights in twenty languages.
Ozetta summarises; the reporting is the newsroom's