Debut author's $2 million contract withdrawn over alleged AI involvement

Jerry Falade secured a $2 million advance for his first crime novel, "Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body," sparking a competitive auction that included 14 US bidders and multiple UK offers. His representatives initially trusted his assurance that the manuscript was created without artificial-intelligence assistance, praising its quality. Following a July 29 meeting, they announced they could no longer confirm the work’s origin and terminated the agreement with Minotaur, a Macmillan US imprint. Falade rejected the AI accusation, arguing that the book had been examined by numerous editors and that similar claims have harmed other Black writers. He also warned that AI-detection tools often generate false positives. Publishing lawyer Tisha Morris said the case highlights the industry’s challenge of verifying authorship when AI tools are easily accessible. The controversy underscores ongoing debates about technology, bias, and copyright in publishing.