Quebec author abandons effort to prove novel was not written by AI
His publisher says the decision leaves questions unresolved as the book remains on sale.
MONTREAL · Author Thélyson Orélien will no longer try to gather proof that his novel was not written by artificial intelligence, his Quebec publisher confirmed. Éditions du Boréal said the author chose to end the evidence-gathering process he had initiated. This leaves the question of AI use unresolved, even as the publisher continues to sell the book, titled "C'était ça ou mourir." Renaud Roussel, co-director of the publishing house, said in an email to The Canadian Press that they supported Orélien's process but respect his decision to stop.
"The publishing house supported him in this process, which he chose to end," Roussel said. "That decision is his to make, and we accept it, although we certainly would have preferred to be able to provide definitive answers to the allegations of AI use against him." The publisher clarified that the effort to compile a detailed record of the manuscript's creation originated with Orélien, not the company. Boréal's position on the matter remains unchanged, Roussel stated.
The publisher had announced in September it was collaborating with Orélien to document his work before the manuscript was submitted. Orélien had also told the French outlet Libération he was collecting evidence with his publishers. The author has not responded to a request for comment on his decision to end the process. Boréal confirmed that sales of the novel have slowed since the controversy began, though it did not provide specific numbers.
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The book is still available in stores, but the publisher is currently out of stock, with a new printing scheduled for next week. A spokesperson for the Renaud-Bray bookstore chain said this week they had not seen a significant change in sales recently. In contrast, Quebec's provincial library and archives institution reported exceptionally high interest, with 1,713 reservations for the digital edition as of Oct. 14. Spokesperson Claire-Hélène Lengellé said demand has stayed strong for several weeks.
In a statement Wednesday, Boréal said it received Orélien's manuscript on Sept. 12, 2025, and could not verify how it was written before that date. The publisher argued its role is to stand by authors, not demand proof from them, leaving the purchase decision to readers. Orélien, in a separate statement released Tuesday through Boréal, said he had nothing to prove to his accusers. He denied using AI, stating he began the novel in 2017 and finished a first draft of over 300 pages in 2019.
Orélien also acknowledged plagiarism in some of his past work, apologizing for what he called unacceptable mistakes from his youth. He maintained that no sentence in his novel was machine-generated. The controversy led to the book being removed from consideration for France's Prix Goncourt award earlier this month. Boréal suspended promotional activities for the novel in September, citing concerns for the author's well-being, but confirmed Wednesday it will continue selling the book.
With files from The Canadian Press, CBC News and Global News