France's prestigious Goncourt prize drops novel after author accused of using AI

The organizers of France’s prestigious Goncourt literary prize removed a debut novel from Haitian-Canadian author Thelyson Orelien’s longlist after allegations that he used AI to write it. The decision came Friday as debate spread over race, originality, and literary merit surrounding the book “C’était Ca ou Mourir” (“It Was Either That or Die”). Orelien denied using AI, but the claims were sparked this week by an X account called “Balance ton Claude,” later said to be managed by essayist Samuel Fitoussi and others. Reports also alleged plagiarism in earlier works. The Academie Goncourt said the move was to protect the prize’s integrity, with no further comment before Oct. 6.