# Almadía Upholds Award for David Silva Rojas Despite AI Authorship Allegations Publisher confirms novel's human authorship after expert review and rejects reliance on AI detectors. - **Source:** [El Economista MX](https://www.eleconomista.com.mx) - **Published:** 2026-11-06 - **Topic:** [culture](https://brifing.si/c/culture) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/0b0f65e5-1725-4df4-9698-2f4f0728b819 ## Award Decision Upheld Mexican publisher Almadía has officially concluded its review of David Silva Rojas’s novel, 'Donde el agua trabaja'. The editorial house confirmed it will maintain the I Premio Internacional de Novela Breve Almadía-Ventosa Arrufat award. This decision follows an extensive investigation into allegations that the work was generated using artificial intelligence. ## Review Process Details To verify the manuscript, Almadía examined documentation regarding the author's creative process, including drafts and notebooks. The publisher consulted with a panel of technological, legal, and linguistic experts to assess the claims. Silva Rojas, who consistently denied using AI, provided full cooperation throughout the internal audit conducted by the editorial team. ## Origin of Controversy The dispute began on October 23 when a report claimed the detector tool Pangram attributed 99% of the novel to artificial intelligence. Following these allegations, Almadía suspended the author's promotional tour in Spain to protect him from public scrutiny. The publisher now argues that automated detection results are insufficient evidence. ## Demand for Apology Almadía has formally requested an apology from the newspaper that published the initial investigation. The publisher contends that the report failed to distinguish between mere suspicion and proven facts. They argue this journalistic approach caused unnecessary harm to the author, the jury members, and the reputation of the publishing house. ## Jury and Expert Support The decision to uphold the award is backed by the jury, which includes writers Cristina Rivera Garza, Selva Almada, and Mónica Ojeda. The novel was originally selected from 2,204 manuscripts submitted from 22 countries. The publisher emphasized that their final judgment was based on human criteria rather than algorithmic output. ## Broader Industry Concerns The editorial statement raises concerns about the growing authority of Global North technology firms in validating Latin American literature. Almadía questions whether the fear of being flagged by machines might eventually condition the stylistic choices of authors. They advocate for prioritizing human judgment over the reliance on automated detection tools. ## Mixed Public Reaction The announcement has triggered intense debate within the literary community. While some authors like Brenda Navarro expressed support for Almadía and Silva Rojas, others criticized the publisher's stance. Critics questioned the lack of transparent technical evidence and challenged the editorial's framing of the situation as a victim of external pressure. ## Future of Literary Integrity This case highlights the ongoing tension between technological surveillance and traditional editorial processes. By maintaining the 20,000 euro prize, Almadía reaffirms its commitment to independent human evaluation. The industry remains divided on how to address AI-related accusations, leaving the debate over the limits of detection tools largely unresolved for now. ## Sources covering this story - [El Economista MX — Almadía Upholds Award After Reviewing AI Allegations Against Novel](https://www.eleconomista.com.mx/arteseideas/almadia-ratifica-premio-revisar-novela-senalada-ia-20261106-842560.html) - [El Universal – Nación — Almadía Clears Novelist of AI Authorship Allegations](https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/cultura/la-novela-donde-el-agua-trabaja-no-fue-escrita-con-ia-informa-almadia-tras-un-peritaje/) --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._