CP NewsAlert: Quebec author admits past plagiarism, denies AI use in novel

Montréal, Quebec - Renowned Quebec author Thélyson Orélien has acknowledged instances of plagiarism in his previous works, while firmly denying any involvement of artificial intelligence in the creation of his celebrated novel. The revelation came to light in a statement issued by his publisher, Éditions du Boréal. Orélien expressed regret for past errors and categorically denied allegations that his novel, C’était ça ou mourir, was authored using AI.

According to the author, he commenced writing the novel in 2017 and completed the first draft in 2019, asserting that no sentence within the book was generated by a machine. This admission follows reports in October suggesting the novel's potential use of AI and plagiarism in Orélien's earlier writings. As a result, the Académie Goncourt, a prestigious French literary institution, removed the novel from its shortlist, and the publisher, Éditions du Boréal, suspended promotional activities related to the book.