Was a story that just won a literary prize AI-generated?
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize has sparked controversy over suspicions that one of its winning stories, The Serpent In The Grove, may have been written by AI. The prize's administrators are confident in their selection process but acknowledge the evolving nature of technology. Meanwhile, the story's publisher, Granta, has distanced itself from the selection process and stated that they take allegations of AI plagiarism seriously.
- ▪The Commonwealth Short Story Prize received around 7,800 entries this year.
- ▪Granta, the publisher of the winning stories, stated that they were not involved in the selection process beyond copy-editing.
- ▪Concerns about AI-generated content in literature have been growing, with other authors facing scrutiny for their use of AI.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
For subscribersWas a story that just won a literary prize AI-generated?Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxThe Commonwealth Short Story Prize drew attention from readers who suspected that one of its winning stories, The Serpent In The Grove, was written by AI.PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASHValeriya SafronovaPublished May 21, 2026, 10:00 AMUpdated May 21, 2026, 10:00 AMConcerns over the increasingly widespread use of artificial intelligence tools to assist with writing continue to roil the literary world.This week, the Commonwealth Short Story Prize drew attention from readers who suspected that one of its winning stories, The Serpent In The Grove, was written by AI.Like all five regional winners of the competition, the story was published online by Granta, a British…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Straits Times — World.