Zimbabwean author Simbarashe Kundizeza is defending his award-winning short story after a prominent literary prize launched a review into allegations that the work was generated using artificial intelligence. Kundizeza won the $10,000 Caine Prize for African Writing last week for his story “The Blue Fighter,” which centers on economic hardship and family relationships in Zimbabwe.
The review follows a report published by The Atlantic magazine stating that the AI-detection tool Pangram indicated the entire text of “The Blue Fighter” was AI-generated, save for an excerpt from a poem by another author. Organizers of the Caine Prize have not retracted the award, but confirmed they are examining the claims.
“We aim to do this by taking a human-centered approach, ensuring that writers are supported and cared for during the process,” the prize organizers said in a statement this week. “We have initiated that process in this case.”
Zimbabwean writer Simbarashe Steyn Kundizeza has denied allegations that he used artificial intelligence to write The Blue Fighter, the short story that won him the 2026 Caine Prize for African Writing.“For the avoidance of doubt, I wrote The Blue Fighter. I did not use… pic.twitter.com/0yhSTcjbSS”
In a statement posted on X late Tuesday and in a subsequent interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Kundizeza firmly denied utilizing artificial intelligence. He argued that the scrutiny exposes a deeper technological bias against African writers exploring their own cultural landscapes.
“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,” Kundizeza 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.”
Kundizeza maintained that the story underwent standard editorial processes and drew directly from his own 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 the piece as “a deeply personal story about economic collapse and familial relationships.”
He also pushed back against critics who have pointed to differences between his winning entry and his earlier work. “As writers, we develop recurring interests, but we don’t produce work from a single fixed template,” Kundizeza posted on X. “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.”
The controversy has triggered a broader debate across social media regarding the fairness of AI-related accusations, particularly concerning Black authors. The Radical Books Collective, an international group that organizes online book clubs, literary events and podcasts focused on political literature and ideas, characterized the situation as part of an ongoing 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 stated online.
Other literary figures have defended the authenticity of Kundizeza’s voice. Nhlandla Duba, a linguist from Zimbabwe who researches English literature at the University of Pretoria, wrote on X that the text bears the marks of human authorship: “That story sounds human. Zimbabwean literature is alive!”
