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A pair of award-winning Kiwi authors have had their books excluded from contention for the country's esteemed literary prize due to the use of AI in designing their cover art.

Exclusion Particulars

The author's short story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and Elizabeth Smither's short novel collection "Angel Train" were submitted for the Ockham 2026 literary prizes and its NZ$65,000 fiction prize in October, but were ruled out the next month because of new guidelines regarding artificial intelligence use.

The publishing house of both titles, the publisher, explained that the prize committee updated the guidelines in the eighth month, by which point the covers for all submitted book would have already been completed.

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

Authors' Responses

Johnson expressed sympathy for the prize administrators, stating she has deep concerns about AI in creative industries, but was disappointed by the ruling.

“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 further stated that authors usually have minimal involvement in book design and was unaware artificial intelligence had been used for her book cover, which features a cat with human-like teeth.

“I believed it was an actual cat photo with superimposed teeth, but that was not the case,” Johnson said, adding that unlike younger generations, she finds it difficult to recognize computer-created images.

Johnson worried that readers might think she used artificial intelligence to compose her work, which she emphatically denied.

“Instead of talking about my book … and what the inspiration was, we are talking about bloody AI, which I hate.”

In a statement, Elizabeth Smither said that the designers spent considerable time crafting her book's cover, which includes a steam train and an angel “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,” Smither stated.

Award Committee's Position

Nicola Legat, head of the award foundation that administers the prizes, said the organization maintains a “firm stance 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.

“Nevertheless, the rules apply equally to every participant, no matter their standing, and must be enforced uniformly.”

The decision to amend the AI guidelines was driven by a aim to support the artistic and intellectual property rights of the country's writers and artists, she added.

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

Industry Reflections

The publisher noted that publishing houses and authors often employ tools like grammar checkers and Photoshop, which utilize AI, and this incident highlighted the urgent need for well-defined policies.

“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 stressed that cover designs get minimal attention during judging.

“The text itself and its detailed analysis were all that mattered,” Smither concluded.

The use of artificial intelligence in artistic fields has encountered increasing scrutiny as the technology progresses, with some organizations developing methods to counter its influence.