Author Jerry Falade has denied allegations that he used artificial intelligence to write his debut crime novel, "Call Me, I'll Hide the Body," asserting that the claims are racially motivated and part of a pattern to undermine the achievements of people of color. Falade's claims come after his literary agent, Europa Content, withdrew support for the book, leading to the cancellation of a reported $2 million deal with Minotaur, a Macmillan US imprint, and a UK rights deal with HarperCollins.
Falade, a graduate student at Southern Methodist University, stated on social media that individuals often accuse authors of color of using AI after securing lucrative deals, while white authors face no such scrutiny. He told The Wall Street Journal that he used AI solely for research purposes and not for the actual writing of the novel.
He explained that he utilized an AI tool that could run on his personal device, allowing him to research sensitive topics, such as the chemical dissolution of a body for his crime novel. Falade cited the grim nature of his research questions as the reason for using a private AI model, to avoid potential red flags associated with tracked search histories.
Falade also noted that none of the editors he interacted with during the book acquisition process inquired about his use of AI, and he never consented to his manuscript being scanned by AI detection software. He expressed suspicion that the coverage of his situation has disproportionately focused on the advancements in AI detection technology. Falade has retained legal counsel.
Falade learned his agent was pulling support for the book shortly after being contacted by a reporter about rumors of AI usage. The agent, Marc Gerald, confirmed he is no longer representing Falade and declined further comment. A representative for Macmillan confirmed that the agent withdrew the book after the publisher participated in an auction.
Despite the current setback, Falade stated his intention to continue writing, expressing confidence that future book deals will surpass the attention garnered by "Call Me, I'll Hide the Body."