Canadian Publisher Ends Relationship with Author Over AI Use in Novel

Source reports published 22 Oct 2026, 3:32 am – 6:47 am AEST

The Quebec-based publisher, Boréal, announced it was ending its professional relationship with novelist Thélyson Orélien following an investigation confirming the use of artificial intelligence in his debut novel, "It Was Either That or Die".

What happened

• Boréal stated on Wednesday that new information, confirmed over the past few days, indicated that artificial intelligence was used in the writing process of the novel.
• The publisher had previously stood by Orélien, but conducted a further investigation, analyzing working drafts and discovering AI tags in the metadata.
• Before this, Boréal had attempted to collaborate with Orélien to gather evidence of his innocence, but this effort proved inconclusive.
• Orélien subsequently declined to provide further information.
• The novel, originally titled "C’etait ca ou mourir", was withdrawn from the shortlist for France’s top book prize, the Goncourt, after AI detector Pangram indicated a 100-percent probability of computer-generated text.
• Orélien had previously called the allegations "slander and heresy", asserting he completed a first draft in 2019, several years before the rise of AI services like ChatGPT.
• He fled Haiti following the 2010 earthquake.

Original reporting

• France 24 English: Canadian publisher drops author Orelien after confirming he used AI in debut novel
  2026-10-21T17:32:54+00:00
• New York Times World: Thélyson Orélien's Quebec Publisher Cuts Ties Over A.I. Accusations
  2026-10-21T20:47:34+00:00