Zimbabwean writer Simbarashe Kundizeza has denied using artificial intelligence to write his prize-winning short story after The Atlantic published an article claiming the work was generated by software.
Kundizeza's story "The Blue Fighter" won the Caine Prize for African Writers on October 6. Five days later, The Atlantic published an article by author and journalist Vauhini Vara titled "Yet Another Literary Prize Winner Seems to Be AI." The article stated that software had flagged the story as almost completely AI-generated.
The Caine Prize is described as prestigious and recognizes African writers. No details about Kundizeza's response beyond the denial appear in the available material.
The accusation reflects growing scrutiny of literary prizes following similar allegations against other award winners in recent years. However, the source material does not provide specifics about Kundizeka's defense, the nature of the software analysis Vara cited, or any statement from the Caine Prize committee.