Thelyson Orelien denies AI use, admits plagiarism

Haitian-Canadian writer Thelyson Orelien denied using artificial intelligence to write his top-selling debut novel and acknowledged past plagiarism in other texts.

Orelien, 38, was accused of using AI to write his French-language migration novel “C'etait ca ou mourir” (“It Was Either That Or Die”), which had been set for translation in more than 20 countries. The book was withdrawn from the shortlist for France's Goncourt prize after tests with AI detector Pangram indicated a 100-percent probability that it contained computer-generated text.

“They say that ‘C’etait ca ou mourir’ was written by an artificial intelligence. That's slander and heresy,” Orelien wrote in a statement sent to AFP. He said he used tools for research, including for foreign idioms, but said “not a single sentence” in the book was created by a machine.

Orelien said he began writing the book in late 2017 and completed a first draft of more than 300 pages in 2019. He has not made early drafts available. His Canadian publisher, Boreal, has said it cannot categorically confirm or deny the AI-use allegations.

AFP testing on an excerpt with Pangram indicated a 100-percent probability of AI use, while other AI detection tools produced results ranging from “very likely” human-written to “100 percent” AI-generated.

Orelien also addressed evidence of plagiarism reported in media coverage involving texts he wrote before the novel. He admitted “unacceptable mistakes” without naming specific cases and apologised “without reservation”.