France Launches First Literary Prize for AI-Written Books

Three tech entrepreneurs in France announced on Wednesday the launch of what they claim is the first literary prize for books co-written with artificial intelligence. The prize, called the “Prix Pascal,” is open to anyone who writes in French, regardless of nationality or residence, and does not require a publisher.

The founders, Philippe Rodriguez, Albin Serviant, and Gilles Mentre, stated that the focus of the prize is solely on the work itself. They are looking for unpublished works of fiction in French that are co-written with AI and aim to explore new ideas.

This initiative comes amid controversy in France’s literary scene, particularly following allegations that debut novelist Thelyson Orelien used AI to help write his book, “It was Either That or Die.” Orelien’s book won the FNAC prize but was later removed from the shortlist for the Goncourt, France’s top literary award, after accusations of cheating surfaced. His publisher later confirmed that AI was used in the writing process.

As the literary world grapples with the role of AI in writing, there are growing calls for clearer labeling of books written by humans. Established literary prizes are also revising their rules to exclude submissions generated by AI.

The Prix Pascal will accept submissions until November 30, with the winner to be announced in mid-December.