system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
authorship- is this normal?

I’m a data analyst in academia (bs in stats), so I get opportunities to help on manuscripts and earn authorship. A senior PI and student (MD) were working on a project together and asked for my assistance performing the analyses. For context, the study was basically just taking survey data someone else already collected and analyzing it. I guided them through/performed the analyses. 

Shortly after this the student graduated, started a residency and completely ghosted us. The student had started a draft of the manuscript, but had only gotten through the introduction. I took complete control over the project and in the process changed some of our analysis methodology. I proceeded to write the entire manuscript (didn’t end up using any of the intro the student wrote) with the analyses and visualizations that I generated.

As I was in the weeds of taking control of the project, the senior PI said she was making me co-first author. I was fine with this as I have never been first author before. Now after finishing the paper, I asked if my name can be listed first (still co-first author with the student) rather than second. The PI acknowledged that I carried this study, but says she isn’t sure it’s appropriate since the student conceptualized the study and “attempted” the analyses, even if their work wasn’t utilized. Since the student didn’t collect the data, they pretty much just decided what the outcome variable would be (which I evolved over time). The student has been copied on all communication for the last 6 months and has not reached out once.

To me it seems crazy for someone to be granted first authorship after completely abandoning a project, especially since most of their work wasn’t included anyway. As we are co first-authors, i’m not asking the student to give this up, I just wish to be listed first. Is this at all justified?
gpt
The problem is that the other person did a certain amount of work under the assumption of gaining a first authorship. Unless they specifically give up that position it can turn into a lot of drama should they want to fight for that spot.

An unfortunate reality is that a lot of research remains unpublished because the original first author stops working on it and doesn't want to give up the spot either.