Award-winning writer accused of AI use

Zimbabwean writer Simbarashe Kundizeza has denied using artificial intelligence (AI) to write his short story, which won this year's Caine Prize for African Writing. His statement comes a week after he scooped the $13 000 award and a recent article in The Atlantic said AI-detection software Pangram had shown his work about a boy whose family falls on hard times was entirely AI generated. ‘For the avoidance of doubt, I wrote The Blue Fighter,’ he posted on X. The accusation has caused an uproar on social media and Caine Prize chair Ellah Wakatama told BBC News she was shocked that the US magazine had not waited for a full investigation before publishing. It follows rows over other literary prizes this year, in particular the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, which was won by Trinidadian writer Jamir Nazir despite allegations that he had used AI, and the withdrawal of Canadian-Haitian author Thélyson Orélien from France's top literary award, the Goncourt, over allegations he used AI for his first novel, which he denies. The backlash to the article on social media has included comments from African writers with suggestions that such accusations are primarily being made against non-white writers.

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