🔗 Share this article

A pair of award-winning Kiwi authors have had their books excluded from contention for the country's prestigious literary prize because of the utilization of artificial intelligence in designing their cover art.

Exclusion Details

Stephanie Johnson's short story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's short novel set "Angel Train" were submitted for the 2026 Ockham book awards and its $65,000 New Zealand dollar novel prize in October, but were ruled out the next month due to recently introduced rules concerning artificial intelligence use.

The publishing house of the two titles, Quentin Wilson, explained that the prize organizers amended the guidelines in August, by which point the covers for every submitted title would have already been completed.

“Consequently, it was much too late for publishers to incorporate this new rule into their design plans,” the publisher said.

Writers' Responses

The author voiced sympathy for the award organizers, stating she has serious worries about AI in creative industries, but was disappointed by the decision.

“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 further stated that writers usually have little involvement in cover artwork and was unaware AI had been employed for her book cover, which displays a feline with human-like 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, adding that unlike younger generations, she finds it difficult to identify AI-generated graphics.

The writer worried that the public might think she employed AI to compose her book, which she categorically did not do.

“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 hours crafting her publication's cover, which includes a locomotive and an celestial figure partially hidden by smoke, inspired by artist Marc Chagall's imagery.

“It is them I am most concerned about: that their meticulous work … is being disrespected,” Smither stated.

Prize Trust's Stance

Nicola Legat, chair of the book awards trust that oversees the prizes, affirmed the trust maintains a strong position on the application of artificial intelligence in books.”

“The trust does not take lightly a decision that prevents the latest works of two of New Zealand’s most esteemed writers from being considered for the 2026 award,” she stated.

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

The move to revise the AI guidelines was motivated by a aim to support the creative and copyright 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 Considerations

The publisher pointed out that publishing houses and authors often employ tools like grammar checkers and Photoshop, which incorporate artificial intelligence, and this incident highlighted the pressing requirement for carefully crafted guidelines.

“As an industry, we must work together to ensure that this situation does not happen again.”

Both Smither and Johnson have in the past been jurors for categories of the Ockham awards, and both stressed that covers receive little attention during evaluation.

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

The use of artificial intelligence in creative fields has faced growing scrutiny as the tech advances, with some groups creating ways to address its impact.