Publishing industry responds to rising use of generative AI

The publishing industry is grappling with the impact of generative artificial intelligence on literary authenticity. At the 18th Dakar International Book and Educational Material Fair (Fildak), professionals expressed significant concerns regarding the influx of AI-generated content. Mame Ngoné Faye, director of the publishing house Le Fil d’Ariane, reported that approximately 90% of the manuscripts her house receives are produced by AI, arguing that this technology eliminates the essential human struggle of the creative process.

In France, the major publishing group Gallimard has announced that, starting in January 2027, it will systematically scan all incoming manuscripts using AI detectors. This decision follows the Thélyson Orélien controversy, where the author was accused of using AI in his novel after his Quebecois publisher, Boréal, discovered traces of AI markers in the manuscript's metadata. Gallimard aims to protect the integrity of its catalog and ensure the human authenticity of its published works.