David Silva Rojas denies using AI for award-winning novel

Peruvian writer David Silva Rojas has denied allegations that his award-winning novel, ‘Donde el agua trabaja’, was generated by artificial intelligence. The controversy arose after an investigation by the newspaper El País, using the Pangram tool, suggested that 99% of the book's text was machine-generated.

In a statement released via social media, Silva Rojas asserted that he conceived, wrote, and revised the work himself. He explained that the novel originated from research into the living and working conditions of agricultural workers in Ica, Peru. To support his defense, the author stated he has preserved previous manuscript versions, research notebooks, and related materials, which he intends to provide to the publisher.

Following the report, the Mexican publishing house Almadía suspended promotional events for the book and announced it would conduct a detailed investigation. Silva Rojas argued that high percentages from AI detection tools should not be considered definitive proof without examining other evidence and expressed his intention to cooperate fully with the editorial review process.