Canadian publisher drops author over AI use in novel dropped from Goncourt list
In short
Canadian publisher Boreal (보레알) said on 21 October that it is ending its relationship with author Telisson Aurelien (텔리송 오렐리앵), 38, after finding AI-related traces in the metadata of some working files for his novel. The publisher said it does not know how far AI was used and may never get a definitive answer. The novel had already been removed from the Goncourt candidate list.
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Canadian publisher Boreal (보레알) said on 21 October, local time, that it is ending its working relationship with Telisson Aurelien (텔리송 오렐리앵), a 38-year-old author, after confirming new information that AI was used in writing his novel "C'était ça ou mourir". Korean outlets Yonhap, Chosun Ilbo and Kyunghyang Shinmun reported the announcement, citing Reuters and AFP. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Boreal had backed Aurelien as recently as last week, when he denied using AI. The publisher said further investigation produced new evidence. It collected working versions of the novel and asked an outside party to analyse them, and the analysis found AI-related traces in the metadata of some documents. Chosun Ilbo, citing Canadian broadcaster TVA, said the publisher commissioned outside experts. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Boreal said it does not know how far AI was used in making the work and will probably not get a definitive answer. It said it had tried to work with Aurelien to obtain evidence that would resolve the allegations but reached no clear conclusion, and that Aurelien then said he would provide no more information. According to Chosun Ilbo, the publisher will stop printing the novel and will not publish his other works, and said in a statement that the author had assured it he never used such tools and that this claim had now proved untrue. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The dispute began in September, when a user on X said that the AI text detector Pangram gave a 100% probability that the work contained AI-generated text. Chosun Ilbo described the user as an anonymous account and noted that the figure is a detector's verdict, not proof that the whole work was written by AI. The Goncourt jury removed the novel from its candidate list on 25 September, according to Chosun Ilbo. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Aurelien has denied using AI. He has said he began writing in late 2017 and finished a draft of more than 300 pages in 2019, before services such as ChatGPT appeared. He has also said the repetitive style comes from Haitian and Caribbean literary traditions. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Aurelien is from Haiti and left the country after the 2010 earthquake, and has worked in Canada since. The novel, on the subject of immigration, is his debut full-length novel. It was a candidate for the Goncourt, Femina, Renaudot and Medicis prizes and was due to be translated and published in more than 20 countries. Yonhap said Reuters asked Aurelien for comment and did not receive an immediate reply. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The case moves an AI-writing allegation from an online user's detector result to a publisher's own review of working files. The documents leave open how much AI was actually used, so the extent of any AI role is still unresolved.
Key facts
- Boreal, a Canadian publisher, announced on 21 October (local time) that it is ending its working relationship with author Telisson Aurelien, 38. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The publisher said it collected working versions of the novel "C'était ça ou mourir" and had them analysed by an outside party, which found AI-related traces in the metadata of some documents. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Boreal said it does not know to what extent AI was used in making the work. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The novel was removed from the Goncourt candidate list after the AI allegations; it had also been a candidate for the Femina, Renaudot and Medicis prizes. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The allegations began in September, when a user on X said the AI text detector Pangram gave a 100% probability that the text contained AI-generated material. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Aurelien has denied using AI, saying he began writing in late 2017 and had a draft of more than 300 pages in 2019, before services such as ChatGPT appeared. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Boreal ended its working relationship with Aurelien after finding AI-related traces in the metadata of some documents for the novel. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Boreal said it could not determine how far AI was used in writing the novel. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The novel was removed from the Goncourt candidate list after the allegations were raised. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Aurelien has denied using AI and has said that the repetitive style comes from Haitian and Caribbean literary traditions. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- How much AI was used in writing the novel. Boreal said it still does not know the extent and probably will not get a definitive answer.
- Aurelien's response to the publisher's findings. Yonhap says Reuters asked him for comment and did not receive an immediate reply; the documents carry no statement from him on the publisher's announcement.
- Whether the Pangram result reflects AI use. It is a claim by an X user, reported by all three outlets; Chosun Ilbo notes it is a detector's verdict, not proof that the whole work was written by AI.