Award-Winning Novel Suspended Amid Artificial Intelligence Allegations

The award-winning short novel "Donde el agua trabaja," written by Peruvian author David Silva Rojas, contains 99 percent machine-generated text according to the Pangram detection tool. The book received the first Almadía Ventosa-Arrufat International Short Novel Prize in July, a distinction that included a 20,000-euro prize and publication across several countries. Following the investigation, the Mexican publisher Almadía announced the immediate suspension of all scheduled presentation events in Spain.

The contest guidelines explicitly prohibited the use of artificial intelligence. The rules stated that participation required an express declaration that the work was not written, partially or totally, using such tools, and mandated disqualification upon any suspicion of noncompliance. Selected from among 2,204 manuscripts, the novel won praise from a jury consisting of writers Cristina Rivera Garza, Selva Almada, and Mónica Ojeda, who commended its subtle language and masterful use of silence.

Upon initial contact, representatives from Almadía expressed surprise regarding the investigation, stating they had never suspected the author during the evaluation process. Following the circulation of the findings, the publisher released a statement on social media noting that Silva Rojas denies using artificial intelligence and that they are preparing a detailed review. "We consider it necessary to carry out a detailed review, without anticipating conclusions and with the care required by an assessment that can affect a work and its author," the publisher stated.

This situation follows a similar controversy in France involving Canadian author Thélyson Orélien, whose novel "C'était ça ou mourir" was found to contain machine-generated text after receiving literary recognition. Orélien's publisher subsequently severed professional ties with him following an internal investigation that uncovered markers of artificial intelligence in document metadata.

Silva Rojas, a criminal law attorney and researcher born in Ica, Peru, stated in interviews that his novel stemmed from academic research regarding agricultural export laborers in his home region. The author explained that his stylistic choices were influenced by Japanese haikus, aiming to create a rhythm with very brief sentences. However, Pangram's analysis also identified high probabilities of artificial intelligence involvement in promotional texts and interview responses provided by the author.

Regarding the reliability of the detection software, Pangram representatives maintain that the tool features a very low false-positive rate when evaluating longer texts. While the system identifies underlying patterns associated with machine generation, it cannot determine the specific degree of human editorial involvement or whether the technology was used to outline personal notes and interviews.

The suspension of the book tour leaves the future of the award uncertain as the publisher moves forward with its internal investigation. The case highlights ongoing challenges for the literary publishing industry as it grapples with the integration and detection of generative writing technologies in award competitions.