I appreciate and agree with your comment. The reasonable answer to "did you use AI" would be just "no". In the context of the story, the other person's intent is comparable to "did you run spell check?"

My personal nit/pet peeve: it is far more likely to meet a meat-eater who gets offended by the insinuation they're a vegan. I have met exactly one "militant vegan" in real life, compared to dozens who go out of their way to avoid inconveniencing others. I'm talking about people who bring their own food to a party rather than asking for a vegan option.

In the 21st century, the militant vegan more common as a hack comedian trope than a real phenomenon.