Zimbabwean author denies using AI to write award-winning story

Simbarashe Kundizeza says he was inspired by a poem about fish tanks to write a story about his family struggles in Zimbabwe Zimbabwean writer Simbarashe Kundizeza has denied using artificial intelligence (AI) to write his short story, which won this year's Caine Prize for African Writing.

It follows rows over other literary prizes this year, in particular the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, which was won by Trinidadian writer Jamir Nazir despite allegations that he had used AI, and the withdrawal of Canadian-Haitian author Thélyson Orélien from France's top literary award, the Goncourt, over allegations he used AI for his first novel, which he denies.

Vara told BBC's Front Row programme that she had also used her own judgment "to suss out these things" and that every other previous Caine Prize winning story she had put through Pangram "came out as 100% human".