A pair of acclaimed New Zealand writers have had their books excluded from contention for the nation's prestigious literature award due to the use of AI in creating their book covers.
The author's short story compilation "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's novella collection "Angel Train" were entered for the 2026 Ockham book awards and its NZ$65,000 novel prize in the tenth month, but were disqualified the following month because of new guidelines concerning artificial intelligence usage.
The publisher of both books, the publisher, explained that the awards committee amended the guidelines in the eighth month, by which time the covers for all entered book would have already been completed.
“Consequently, it was much too late for publishers to incorporate this new rule into their design plans,” Wilson noted.
Johnson expressed understanding for the prize administrators, saying she shares serious worries about artificial intelligence in artistic industries, but was disappointed by the decision.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sad about it,” she remarked. “This marks my 22nd publication and my fourth short story anthology. These tales … were composed over roughly two decades, making this a particularly significant work for me.”
She added that writers usually have minimal involvement in cover artwork and was unaware artificial intelligence had been used for her cover, which features a feline with human dentition.
“I just thought it was a photograph of a real cat and the teeth had been superimposed, but apparently it wasn’t,” Johnson said, adding that unlike more tech-savvy age groups, she struggles to identify AI-generated graphics.
Johnson feared that readers might assume she employed AI to write her book, which she categorically denied.
“Instead of talking about my book … and what the inspiration was, we are talking about bloody AI, which I hate.”
In a statement, Smither expressed that the designers spent considerable time creating her publication's art, which features a locomotive and an celestial figure “half-obscured in the smoke”, influenced by painter the artist's figures.
“It is them I am most concerned about: that their meticulous work … is being disrespected,” she stated.
Nicola Legat, chair of the award foundation that administers the Ockham awards, affirmed the organization maintains a strong position on the application of artificial intelligence in publications.”
“We do not make such a decision lightly, one that bars the newest works by two of New Zealand's most respected authors from the 2026 prize,” Legat stated.
“Nevertheless, the rules apply equally to every participant, no matter their standing, and must be enforced uniformly.”
The move to revise the AI criteria was motivated by a desire to support the artistic and copyright rights of the nation's authors and artists, she explained.
“As AI evolves, there may well be a need for the trust to revisit and develop the criteria further.”
The publisher noted that publishers and authors regularly employ tools like Grammarly and image editors, which incorporate AI, and this situation underscored the urgent need for well-defined policies.
“As an industry, we must work together to ensure that this situation does not happen again.”
Both Smither and Stephanie Johnson have in the past been jurors for categories of the prizes, and both emphasized that covers get little consideration during judging.
“The contents and the close reading were everything,” the author concluded.
The use of AI in creative fields has faced growing scrutiny as the tech progresses, with some groups creating ways to counter its influence.
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