Haitian-Canadian Novelist Denies Using AI to Write Debut Novel

Haitian-Canadian novelist Thélyson Orélien has denied allegations that artificial intelligence (AI) was used to write substantial portions of his debut novel, C’était ça ou mourir (It Was That or Die), while acknowledging previous instances of plagiarism.

In a letter distributed to the media through his French publisher, Grasset, Orélien defended the originality of the novel, which follows a Haitian migrant fleeing gang violence and travelling through several countries before reaching Canada.

The book attracted international attention after winning the Prix du Roman Fnac in France and gaining recognition in the country’s literary circles. However, its success was overshadowed by allegations that AI had generated much of its content.

The controversy began in September when an account on social media platform X claimed that an analysis using the Pangram AI-detection tool had found the novel to be largely machine-generated.

Orélien rejected the allegation, insisting that he wrote the book himself and that its language reflected his personal experiences and the wider realities of migration.

He said the novel emerged from his own experiences and those of other migrants, adding that its themes of displacement and exile were central to its creation.

The author also acknowledged allegations that he had plagiarised material in earlier works, including a short story published in 2012 and an opinion piece from 2013. He described those actions as unacceptable mistakes, saying his admiration for other writers did not justify presenting their work as his own.

Orélien said criticism of his writing was legitimate but condemned the threats, media attacks and racist harassment he claimed to have faced during the controversy.

The dispute has raised broader questions about the reliability of AI-detection tools and the standards used to establish authorship in contemporary literature. Such tools can flag text as potentially AI-generated, but their results do not independently establish that a manuscript was written by artificial intelligence.

The controversy also affected the novel’s prospects in France’s prestigious Prix Goncourt. Organisers removed it from the prize’s longlist after citing the allegations surrounding AI use and plagiarism.

Orélien has maintained that the novel is his own work and urged readers to judge it on its literary merits. The case has fuelled debate within the publishing industry about originality, transparency and the appropriate role of AI in creative writing.