Caine Prize Winner Kundizeza Denies AI Use in Winning Story

Simbarashe Kundizeza, the Zimbabwean author who won this year's Caine Prize for African Writing, has denied using artificial intelligence (AI) to write his short story, The Blue Fighter. Kundizeza's statement comes a week after he scooped the £10,000 ($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," Kundizeza posted on X. The accusation has caused an uproar on social media and Caine Prize chair Ellah, Wakatama told. the BBC she was shocked that the US magazine had not waited for a full inquiry before publishing.

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"I do wish The Atlantic had spent more time investigating this so that alongside Pangram, they did have evidence of real human investigation of it before tainting the prize and tainting this winner," Wakatama said.

The Caine Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in Africa. And its winner is often seen as a benchmark for African writing. However, the prize has been embroiled in controversy in recent years, with several winners accused of using AI to generate their work.

The controversy surrounding Kundizeza's win has sparked a wider debate about the use of AI in writing and the role of technology in the literary world.

According to Vauhini Vara's article, Yet Another Prizewinner Seems to Be AI, Pangram's internal research showed its assessments were rarely wrong. However, Vara conceded that any AI-detection product, including one as good as Pangram, was not going to be 100% accurate.

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Kundizeza has also released documentation about his various drafts and the chronology of his story'It's development.

Following an internal probe, Kundizeza will submit detailed records of his revisions, as discussions with judges and The Shallow Tales Review, the publication that launched The Blue Fighter in 2025, continue. Wakatama has expressed reservations about utilizing AI solely for entry vetting. However, cautioning against its use as a conclusive decision-maker in this instance.