Author or artificial intelligence? Literature in crisis

The Frankfurt Book Fair has become a hotbed for discussions on how artificial intelligence will transform the book industry, and how to regulate this change. These debates, while important, may seem narrow given the broader concerns about artificial intelligence's impact on humanity. However, they touch on concrete issues such as copyright protection, the dominance of major tech corporations, and the future of creative work.

Many involved feel the political measures taken thus far are insufficient. This year, a new question has emerged: can we truly identify when a text has been written with the assistance of artificial intelligence, and how can such evidence be proven?

Haitian-Canadian author Thélyson Orélien's debut novel, "C était ça ou mourir," (It Was Either That or Die) was published in Canada in spring and in France later that summer. The book, a migration story, received widespread acclaim and sold translation rights in over 20 languages. It even made the longlist for the prestigious Prix Goncourt.

Suddenly, allegations emerged that the book had been almost entirely written using AI. Orélien, until recently a rising literary star, found himself labeled a fraud after denying the allegations. His nomination for the Prix Goncourt was subsequently withdrawn. So, who should we believe now — the author or the AI claiming to have identified AI-generated writing?

Literature professor Hannes Bajohr of the University of California, Berkeley, acknowledges the dilemma. He predicts that if text origins cannot be reliably established, we will have to evaluate them based solely on their quality, not on AI usage. Nina George, a bestselling author and honorary president of the European Writers' Council, vehemently opposes this idea.

At the fair, she received the Friedrich Perthes Prize for her advocacy on AI and copyright issues, particularly addressing the European Parliament and the German Bundestag. George criticizes the self-serving mentality of large corporations and the protection of copyright. However, she wonders what if an author sees AI as a helpful tool rather than an enemy?

American author and artist Luke Stoffel used AI in his memoirs "How To Win One Million Dollars" and "Shit Glitter" and openly admitted this. Stoffel, who is dyslexic, found AI helpful in overcoming his writing weaknesses and marketing his work. He won an award from the Independent Book Publishers Association for his efforts. South African author Coral Hart, who publishes over 200 novels annually under various pseudonyms, sees AI as essential to her business model.

She argues that each of her books reaches more than 5,000 readers. Stoffel believes the whole debate around AI is hypocritical, as many publishers have been using AI tools for some time. He believes a bestseller may be printed with AI assistance, but the author will not admit it, leading to future scandals. The controversy surrounding Thélyson Orélien may very well be one such case, but we may never know for sure.

While the battle against tech giants continues, the question of what authors can and should do with AI will undoubtedly remain a contentious issue in the literary world.