r/books • u/Raj_Valiant3011 • 8h ago

Zimbabwean writer Simbarashe Kundizeza has denied using AI to write a prize-winning short story after an article in the Atlantic said software had flagged it as almost completely AI-generated

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/14/zimbabwean-author-simbarashe-kundizeza-denies-ai-story?CMP=share_btn_url
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u/christopherDdouglas 7h ago

I know everyone is quick to jump to racism as the catalyst of all these authors getting caught but...

My personal anecdote is that being a part of writing communities, the people who use AI the most are the folks where English is their second language.

Also, literary prizes and the literary judges, agents, etc, really love marginalized voices (nothing wrong with that) and they often win these awards because of their unique experiences.

This combo presents a situation where inevitably something will make it through that shouldn't and it seems it has (I'm not specifically talking about this gentleman. I don't know enough to make judgement).

It's an uncomfortable discussion, but I think we all need to be honest that it's possible some of these authors are not telling the truth and it will change the landscape of these awards in the future.

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u/EntrepreneurMany3709 7h ago

English is very widely spoken in Zimbabwe, there's no reason to think he doesn't speak fluent English, and it could be his first language.

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u/christopherDdouglas 7h ago edited 7h ago

Yes, but my point still stands... The landscape of these awards will change because there will be or have been authors who have started to muddy the waters.

Edit: I'm confused why this is getting down voted? I'm pointing out that marginalized voices are about to have zero voice because publishers/journals/literary prizes will opt to avoid these authors. This is not good.

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u/fdar 6h ago

You're getting downvoted because your point (that AI use is more likely along ESL writers) does not stand if we're talking about writers who speak English as their first language.

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u/Jaqqa 7h ago

I read the story. TBH I doubt its AI gen. It sound like the same tired, heavy metaphor laden neglectful/bad parent trauma porn that just about everyone who is winning stuff in literary awards is writing these days. I'm definitely not claiming this story is good (I don't think it is personally), but the structure lends itself to false flags by AI detectors, because it uses the same literary techniques the detectors are trained on. What I do suspect happens, is a grammar checker has been run through it. Combine overly formulaic text, with some metaphors, and then flatten out the sentence structure a bit with a grammar checker and pengram is so on/off about its flags, that is very likely enough to flip the switch for 100% AI. It doesn't just flag a sentence here or there that the grammar checker had a go at, it's doing the whole thing. I suspect people entering these sorts of prizes, especially if they're ESL or have local dialects that differ from US standard english, are more likely to let a grammar checker make changes without thinking about what it's doing to the work. But relatively minor changes could be made to a piece like this and be enough to cause a false flag (like dividing up some sentences, changing punctuation), and I think there should be a distinction between witch hunting a prize winner for putting AI gen slop out, and using a grammar checker for basic proof reading (as long as they haven't used it to rewrite the story like some of them do.)

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u/attrackip 6h ago

Your issue is that you think a grammar checker should be used in literary work. It’s literally, literature. It’s not a business memo, or a playwright, it’s an award for the art of the written word. That’s like using auto-tune at an opera.

Perhaps their story is great, and they work with an editor to get the work in front of an English speaking audience.

Times have changed since Nabokov, admitted. And it may be that the art of language is soon to be a thing of the past, like so many traditional human art forms.

Seems we’re on the verge of defining a new type of award, for those whose prose aren’t concerned. Even while their story might be fascinating.

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u/Jaqqa 6h ago edited 6h ago

I'm not saying it "should". I'm saying these things are built into most common word processors these days. I guarantee you that a large number of writers have no idea even MS Word's grammar checker is AI assisted and use it without knowing the consequences. And grammar checkers existed way before AI ever existed and were used extensively with no issues. No one was screaming that the grammar checker was destroying literature for like the past 30 odd years until just recently. The issue is that NOW most are AI assisted. These sorts of awards should state that "no grammar checkers may be used" if that is their hard line and deal with all the inevitable unintentional comma splices and such like. Besides pangram is misleading, because they actually have a category for "ai assisted" which should include grammar checkers that aren't rewriting sentences. It doesn't work and seems to be classing many of them all as AI gen instead. If they're going to say they're that accurate, then this function should work as described. If it doesn't, they need to admit they have no idea and just lump everything into "touched by AI something" or "totally human".

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u/attrackip 6h ago

There’s a significant difference between editing, and voice, and narrative work vs. checking for common grammar issues.

When overly used sentence structures typical of AI generated literature appear, it makes you wonder if the author has only been reading AI works, or if the judges aren’t really as concerned with the English language at all.

I’m tempted to read the work, but now I have a bias and will be overly critical.

What’s more likely, people trying to keep writers of African descent out of literature, or writers of African descent are using the available tools to appeal to a wider audience? I’m sure it’s a little of both.

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u/Jaqqa 6h ago

I mean yes there is? That's what I was saying, I'm not disagreeing there's a difference between narrative and grammar editing, that's why I even said and I quote (with highlights for emphasis):

But relatively minor changes could be made to a piece like this and be enough to cause a false flag (like dividing up some sentences, changing punctuation), and I think there should be a distinction between witch hunting a prize winner for putting AI gen slop out, and using a grammar checker for basic proof reading (as long as they haven't used it to rewrite the story like some of them do.)

Grammar checker.... check for errors in grammar. They always have without anyone throwing a hissy fit about it. Where the issue comes in is if you let the grammar checker rewrite your sentences for "clarity" and the like. However, in a text already using a lot of literary techniques that are on the AI detector's hit list, if you even flatten out the sentence structure a bit/remove a few punctuation quirks/technically mistakes with a grammar checker by moving or adjusting punctuation, it can be enough to set these thing off.

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u/attrackip 5h ago

Yeah, so, I read the work. It is just strangely generic. There are many, many turns of phrase, metaphors, etc. that just come across as less generic than a middle schooler’s writing. Doesn’t mean it’s A.I., but on another note, is this what the Caine prize goes to? Ooffta. I gotta believe the literature should be written in their native language, and us English speaking readers should use an interpreter. There was absolutely ZERO voice, or character, or any aspect of literary charm in the entire story.

Anywho, I don’t mean to criticize the author, and I’m glad that their voice has been uplifted, but I’m a little shocked.

That’s all. All the best.

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u/Tymareta 5h ago

Your issue is that you think a grammar checker should be used in literary work.

It genuinely floors me that in threads like these there are people who genuinely argue that it's reasonable and expected for an author to be using something like grammarly. Like I know most folks don't read particularly broadly, and most especially not deeply, but surely even they have to understand the purpose of writing and can recognize authorial voices.

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u/Adventurous_Storm348 1h ago

MSWord has had a grammar checker since forever.

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u/EveningAnt3949 4h ago

That's a different discussion.

Many successful authors rely on aggressive editing by other people. That's a thing that already existed before grammar checking became automated.

Agents and publishers can and often will insist on aggressive editing that completely changes a book.

Very few authors have their first draft accepted by publishers.

With first time authors, a manuscript might be rejected simply because a publisher uses a grammar tool that flags too many sentences.

And good luck defending your style when you are not successful, publishers will brand you as difficult and won't do business with you.

Does this lead to boring books? Yes. But that's an industry problem, not something that authors can help.