Quebec publisher halts promotion of book in AI controversy amid new allegations

A Quebec author accused of using artificial intelligence to write an award-winning novel is now facing new allegations of plagiarism regarding his previous work. According to a La Presse report, some articles attributed to the author that appeared in Quebec and French media between 2012 and 2014 contained passages that were found to be similar to previously published work by other authors by the U.S.-based Pangram software. The Canadian Press has not independently verified these allegations.

Les Éditions du Boréal, which published the author's novel, stated that they are concerned about the new plagiarism allegations and the potential issues related to copyright and editorial integrity. They have suspended promotional activities surrounding the author's novel for now, citing the author's well-being. The book will remain available on shelves.

The Salon du livre de l’Estrie, a book fair in Sherbrooke, Quebec, announced that they are removing the author as a guest of honor after learning of the plagiarism allegations. They have withdrawn his invitations to participate in two events at the fair and removed references to his participation from their website and social media. Les Éditions du Boréal also condemned the hateful messages and personal attacks directed at the author in recent days.