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A pair of acclaimed Kiwi authors have had their works excluded from consideration for the country's esteemed literature award because of the use of AI in designing their cover art.

Disqualification Particulars

Stephanie Johnson's short story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and Elizabeth Smither's novella collection "Angel Train" were entered for the 2026 Ockham literary prizes and its NZ$65,000 novel award in the tenth month, but were ruled out the next month because of new rules regarding artificial intelligence use.

The publisher of the two books, the publisher, stated that the awards organizers amended the guidelines in August, by which point the covers for all submitted title would have previously been completed.

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

Authors' Responses

Johnson expressed sympathy for the prize administrators, stating she shares deep concerns about AI in creative fields, 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.”

Johnson added that authors typically have little involvement in cover design and was did not know AI had been employed for her cover, which features a feline with human-like teeth.

“I believed it was an actual cat photo with superimposed teeth, but that was not the case,” Johnson said, noting that unlike younger generations, she finds it difficult to recognize AI-generated graphics.

The writer worried that the public might think she used artificial intelligence to write her book, which she emphatically 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 comment, Smither said that the artists spent hours creating her publication's cover, which includes a locomotive and an celestial figure partially hidden by smoke, influenced by artist the artist's imagery.

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

Prize Trust's Position

Nicola Legat, chair of the book awards trust that oversees the prizes, affirmed the organization maintains a “firm stance on the use of AI 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 said.

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

The move to amend the AI criteria was motivated by a aim to protect the artistic and copyright interests of the nation's writers and artists, she explained.

“As AI evolves, there may well be a need for the trust to revisit and develop the criteria further.”

Publishing Reflections

Wilson pointed out that publishers and writers regularly employ software like grammar checkers and Photoshop, which incorporate AI, and this situation highlighted the pressing need for carefully crafted policies.

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

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

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

The use of AI in creative sectors has faced increasing examination as the technology advances, with some groups creating methods to address its influence.