Zimbabwe’s Caine Prize winner rejects claim he used AI to write his story

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwean author Simbarashe Kundizeza, whose prize for a short story is under review over allegations of AI use, denied using artificial intelligence to write what he said was a story inspired by his family’s experiences, and he suggested that AI-detection technology is biased.

Kundizeza’s “The Blue Fighter” won this year’s $10,000 Caine Prize for African Writing last week, but a report in The Atlantic magazine said the AI detection tool Pangram had indicated the entire story was AI-generated with the exception of an excerpt from a poem by another author.

Kundizeza posted a denial on X late Tuesday, and in an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press said that African writers and readers should challenge such accusations.

“There is need to use technology responsibly so that it is not deployed to create a bias against natives who seek to write about their own experiences and cultures,” he said. “Although I am not too well versed with these technologies, it is well known that AI is in certain ways biased against us, it’s something that really needs to be looked at because this kind of treatment I got is not going to stop,” he added.

The Caine Prize organizers have not retracted the prize, but have said that it is under review and that they have a responsibility to examine such AI claims. “We aim to do this by taking a human-centered approach, ensuring that writers are supported and cared for during the process. We have initiated that process in this case,” the organizers said this week.

In his statement on X, Kundizeza insisted that his story, centered on family relationships and economic hardship, was entirely his own work. He said it had gone through standard editorial processes. He said the story reflected his family’s life during Zimbabwe’s years of economic turmoil.

“Aspects of the story, including characters and the setting, are drawn from events in my own life,” he said, describing it as “a deeply personal story about economic collapse and familial relationships.”

He challenged the suggestion that differences between the winning story and his earlier work should cast doubt on his authorship.

“As writers, we develop recurring interests, but we don’t produce work from a single fixed template. To suggest that a writer cannot write in different styles or genres, or improve his writing substantially after five or more years, fundamentally misunderstands the craft of writing,” he said in his X post.

The allegations have prompted a wider debate on social media, with some questioning whether Black authors are being unfairly targeted by AI-related accusations.

Radical Books Collective, an international group that organizes online book clubs, literary events and podcasts focused on political literature and ideas, described the controversy as part of a broader pattern. “The digital lynchings continue as Black authors are being targeted in AI/plagiarism scandals: Jamir Nazir, Jerry Falade, Thélyson Orélien and now Simbarashe Kundizeza,” the collective posted.

Nhlandla Duba, a linguist from Zimbabwe who researches English literature at the University of Pretoria, said Kundizeza’s story rings true.

“That story sounds human. Zimbabwean literature is alive!” Duba proclaimed on X.