Zimbabwean author Simbarashe Kundizeza has firmly denied allegations that artificial intelligence was used to write his short story, "The Blue Fighter," which was awarded the $10,000 Caine Prize for African Writing last week. The controversy began following a report in The Atlantic magazine, which claimed that the AI-detection tool Pangram identified the entire story as AI-generated, with the sole exception of a short poetic excerpt by another author.
Addressing the accusations on X, formerly known as Twitter, and in an interview with The Associated Press, Kundizeza insisted that the story was entirely his own work. He described the narrative as a deeply personal exploration of family relationships and economic hardship, grounded in his own experiences during Zimbabwe’s period of intense economic turmoil. He noted that the story underwent standard editorial processes before its submission.
Kundizeza challenged the validity of the detection software, suggesting that such technology may be inherently biased. "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 stated. He emphasized that as a writer, he should not be expected to produce work from a fixed template, noting that authors often develop recurring interests while evolving their style over years. He argued that the suggestion that a writer cannot improve or shift genres fundamentally misunderstands the craft of writing.
The Caine Prize organizers have confirmed that while the award has not been retracted, the win is currently under review. In a statement, the organizers stated, "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 accusation has sparked broader debate within the literary community. The Radical Books Collective, an international group focused on political literature, characterized the incident as part of a recurring pattern where Black authors are targeted in AI and plagiarism scandals. Meanwhile, Nhlandla Duba, a linguist at the University of Pretoria who researches English literature, defended the work on social media, asserting that the story "sounds human" and that Zimbabwean literature remains vibrant.
Kundizeza encouraged other African writers and readers to remain vigilant against such accusations, stating, "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."
