Canadian-Haitian writer Thélyson Orélien stripped from Prix Goncourt longlist after AI claims

The organisers of France's top literary prize, the Prix Goncourt, on Friday said they had removed a widely praised novel by a Canadian-Haitian writer from its longlist following online claims that artificial intelligence was used to write it. This decision "is driven by the desire to preserve the integrity of the prix Goncourt and the Academy itself, whose central role is to promote and honour literature written by women and men", the Goncourt Academy said. Novelist Thélyson Orélien this week denied using AI to write parts of his book "It Was Either That or Die" after the accusations surfaced on an account called "Balance ton Claude" (Expose Your Claude). The controversy sent shockwaves through the French literary world and raised questions worldwide about how literature will manage the rise of AI. The Academy had put the book on its initial longlist of over a dozen titles competing for the prestigious prize whose winner is announced in November. The longlist is due to be whittled down to a shortlist on October 6. It cited findings indicating that the book is "in all likelihood, very largely the product of artificial intelligence" and also noted accusations of plagiarism. The withd...