Zimbabwean author Simbarashe Kundizeza denies using AI in Caine Prize story

Zimbabwean author Simbarashe Kundizeza has denied allegations that he used artificial intelligence to write his short story titled The Blue Fighter. As FTMQ Books reported earlier, Kundizeza won the 2026 Caine Prize for African Writing and its 10,000 pound award for the work. The BBC reported that the author issued a statement on X confirming he wrote the story after an article in The Atlantic stated that AI detection software Pangram flagged the text as entirely computer generated. [1][6][7][9]

The allegations center on a story about a family facing difficult times, which was published by The Shallow Tales Review in 2025. The Bookseller and NewZimbabwe.com both report that the Caine Prize organizers have launched an investigation into the claims. Times Now also reported that the story faces scrutiny over potential AI usage. [1][3][4][5][6][9]

Ellah Wakatama, the chair of the Caine Prize board, told the BBC that she was shocked that The Atlantic published its article without waiting for a full investigation to take place. The Caine Prize for African Writing is an annual literary award established in the United Kingdom in 2000 to honor the best English language short story published by an African author. [1][7]

The controversy has caused an uproar across social media platforms, according to the BBC and Brittle Paper. The Caine Prize board is proceeding with a human-centered process to examine the matter fully. [1][2][3]