# El País: Pangram classifies 99% of award-winning novel as AI text

- Published: 2026-10-24T10:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T10:03:55.521Z
- Section: Models
- Topics: Society, Creation
- Page: https://aidailyjournal.com/en/n/2026/10/24/el-pais-pangram-classifies-99-of-award-winning-novel-as-ai-text/
- Sources: [Xataka](https://xataka.com/robotica-e-ia/pangram-donde-agua-trabaja-david-silva-rojas-ia-al-99-problema-siempre-que-ia-no-infalible)

## Summary

El País reported that Pangram classified 99% of “Donde el agua trabaja” as AI-generated text. The novel, by Peruvian author David Silva Rojas, won the first Almadía Ventosa-Arrufat International Short Novel Prize in July, received €20,000 and was selected from more than 2,200 entries from 22 countries. The rules required authors to declare that their work had not been written with AI; the result affected the author, publisher and jury after the book’s publication in September.

Pangram is a neural-network-based classifier. Pangram Labs claims a 0.0041% false-positive rate and a 0.34% false-negative rate, while a University of Chicago study found it less likely than other detectors to classify human writing as AI. El País nevertheless acknowledges limitations: in one test, the system labeled 41% of human texts modified by an AI as human. The result is therefore an indication, not proof of authorship.

## Why it matters (editorial interpretation)

The case illustrates how text detectors can affect contests, authors, and publishers even when the outlet itself stresses that their results are only an indication. The gap between Pangram Labs’ claimed error rates and the limitations noted by El País reinforces the need for caution before making decisions with reputational or financial consequences.

_Summary written by AI Daily Journal in its own words, based on the sources above. For details, read the original articles._