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A pair of acclaimed Kiwi writers have had their works excluded from consideration for the country's esteemed literary award because of the use of artificial intelligence in creating their cover art.

Exclusion Details

The author's short story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's short novel collection "Angel Train" were entered for the Ockham 2026 book awards and its $65,000 New Zealand dollar novel award in the tenth month, but were ruled out the next month because of new rules concerning artificial intelligence usage.

The publishing house of the two books, Quentin Wilson, stated that the prize committee amended the criteria in the eighth month, by which point the covers for every submitted book would have previously been completed.

“It was, therefore, far too late for any publisher to have taken this clause into account in their design briefs,” the publisher noted.

Writers' Responses

Johnson expressed sympathy for the prize administrators, stating she shares serious worries about AI in artistic fields, but was let down by the ruling.

“It would be untrue to claim I am not upset by this,” she commented. “It’s my 22nd book, and it is my fourth collection of short stories. These stories … were written over a sort of 20 year period, so for me, it’s quite an important book.”

She added that writers typically have little involvement in cover design and was did not know artificial intelligence had been used for her cover, which features a cat with human teeth.

“I just thought it was a photograph of a real cat and the teeth had been superimposed, but apparently it wasn’t,” the author explained, noting that unlike more tech-savvy age groups, she struggles to identify AI-generated images.

Johnson feared that the public might assume she used artificial intelligence to compose her work, 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 devoted considerable time crafting her book's cover, which includes a steam train and an celestial figure partially hidden by smoke, inspired by artist the artist's imagery.

“My primary concern is for the designers: their careful, detailed work … is not being respected,” Smither remarked.

Award Committee's Stance

Nicola Legat, head of the book awards trust that administers the prizes, said the trust takes a strong position on the application of artificial intelligence in books.”

“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 said.

“However, the criteria apply to all entrants, regardless of their mana [status], and must be consistently applied to all.”

The decision to revise the AI criteria was driven by a aim to support the creative and copyright interests of the country's writers and illustrators, she added.

“With artificial intelligence advancing, the trust may need to review and refine these criteria in the future.”

Publishing Reflections

Wilson noted that publishing houses and authors regularly employ tools like grammar checkers and image editors, which utilize artificial intelligence, and this situation underscored the urgent requirement for carefully crafted guidelines.

“Our industry must collaborate to prevent a recurrence of this scenario.”

Both Smither and Stephanie Johnson have in the past served as judges for sections of the prizes, and both emphasized that cover designs receive minimal attention during judging.

“The contents and the close reading were everything,” Smither concluded.

The use of artificial intelligence in creative sectors has faced growing scrutiny as the tech progresses, with some groups developing methods to counter its impact.