Jamir Nazir, author of ‘The Serpent in the Grove'. (Source: Commonwealth Foundation Creatives)The Commonwealth Foundation on Wednesday announced it is pushing back the opening of the 2027 Commonwealth Short Story Prize to January in the wake of allegations that artificial intelligence was used to write some of this year’s winning stories, including Jamir Nazir’s story, which won the overall prize.Controversy erupted earlier this year after the five regional winners of the 2026 prize were announced and published in Granta. Writer and researcher Nabeel S Qureshi took to X to question whether an AI-written story might win the 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. He also flagged tell-tale signs of AI in Caribbean region winner Jamir Nazir’s story, “The Serpent in the Grove,” which went on to win the overall prize. Later, internet sleuths also flagged two other stories including Maltese writer John Edward DeMicoli’s The Bastion’s Shadow and Indian-origin writer Sharon Aruparayil’s story Mehendi Nights.The claims prompted the Foundation to launch a month-long review of the creative process behind each of the five winning entries. They examined materials such as working drafts and time-stamped documents. Foundation Director-General Razmi Farook said the organisation does not use AI-checking tools on unpublished submissions, citing concerns about artistic ownership and writer’s consent.At the end of the review, the Foundation announced it was satisfied that AI had not been used to write the winning stories and chose to uphold the original decision of the independent judging panel.Also Read | Jamir Nazir’s AI-suspected story ‘The Serpent in the Grove’ wins Commonwealth Short Story PrizeThe Foundation also acknowledged that the scandal had exposed the need for staff, entrants, readers and judges to be better equipped at navigating the use of AI in creative writing. As a result, the opening of the 2027 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, originally expected this autumn, will now be delayed until January 2027. The Foundation says the extra time will be used to conduct a comprehensive review of the prize’s processes, entry rules and submission guidelines.