AI-Generated Text Falsely Attributed to Liu Liangcheng Nearly Published in Educational Materials
Liu Liangcheng, a Chinese writer and Mao Dun Literary Award winner, discovered that an essay falsely attributed to him and nearly published in secondary school reading materials was AI-generated. The publisher had sought authorization through proper copyright channels but did not recognize the text as synthetic. Liu called for legislation to protect living authors' works from unauthorized AI training and use.
What happened
On April 1, 2026, writer Liu Liangcheng discovered that an essay titled 'Sweeping Dust' attributed to him and slated for inclusion in secondary school supplementary reading materials was AI-generated, not written by him.
Liu Liangcheng stated he received the article through the China Copyright Protection Center when a publisher sought authorization to use it in middle school course materials, and upon reading the first sentence concluded it was not his work.
Reported impact
Liu Liangcheng said he has frequently seen online content bearing his name that he did not write, including altered quotations, essays derived from his work, and commentary articles that misrepresent his stories.
He expressed concern that AI-generated imitations of established authors' styles are becoming increasingly prevalent and difficult to trace.
Index analysis
Liu Liangcheng attributed the AI text to specific stylistic markers: the essay demonstrated 'a straightforward mimicry mindset' suited for middle school readers with clear moral lessons, and used simpler language than his typical writing.
He noted that if the article were human-authored plagiarism, the plagiarist would have no reason to use his name rather than claim original authorship.
Governance controls
The publishing house contacted Liu Liangcheng through established copyright procedures via the China Copyright Protection Center, indicating they acted without deliberate intent to deceive.
Liu Liangcheng called for legislation to protect authors still in copyright protection periods, requiring AI developers to obtain authorization and pay fees before using authors' works for model training.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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