The publisher of best-selling Haitian-Canadian writer Thelyson Orelien has officially severed its professional relationship with the author after confirming he allegedly utilized artificial intelligence to help write his novel, “It Was Either That or Die”. The decision by the Boréal publishing house marks a sharp turnaround following months of scrutiny over the origins of the migration-themed book.

Boréal stated that it conducted an extensive internal and external investigation after allegations first surfaced in September. According to the publisher, working versions of the novel were analyzed by an outside party, which reportedly revealed traces of AI tags hidden within the metadata of certain documents. The European-influenced publishing norms apparently forced the company to take decisive action against what it perceives as deceptive creative practices. * * Prior to the final decision, the publisher claimed it attempted to work collaboratively with Orelien to gather evidence supporting his innocence. However, that effort proved inconclusive, and the author purportedly announced he would no longer cooperate or provide further information. The controversy has already cost Orelien significant recognition, including being dropped from the shortlist of France’s prestigious Goncourt prize after automated detectors indicated a high probability of machine-generated text.

Despite mounting evidence, Orelien has continuously dismissed the allegations, previously characterizing them as slander and hinting at potential underlying prejudices. While he admitted to using research tools for foreign idioms and historical background, the author maintained that every narrative choice came directly from his own creative vision, leaving the broader literary community divided over the ethical boundaries of modern writing assistance.

Source: www.aljazeera.com