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Two acclaimed Kiwi writers have had their works disqualified from contention for the country's esteemed literature award because of the utilization of AI in designing their book covers.

Disqualification Particulars

Stephanie Johnson's story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's novella collection "Angel Train" were submitted for the 2026 Ockham book awards and its NZ$65,000 fiction prize in October, but were ruled out the next month due to new rules regarding AI use.

The publishing house of both titles, the publisher, stated that the prize organizers amended the criteria in the eighth month, by which point the covers for every submitted title would have already been finalized.

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

Authors' Responses

Johnson voiced understanding for the prize organizers, saying she has deep concerns about AI in creative industries, but was let down by the ruling.

“It would be untrue to claim I am not upset by this,” she remarked. “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.”

Johnson added that writers usually have little input in cover design and was did not know artificial intelligence had been employed for her book 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,” Johnson explained, adding that unlike younger age groups, she struggles to recognize AI-generated images.

Johnson worried that readers might think she employed AI 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 hours crafting her publication's art, which includes a locomotive and an angel partially hidden by smoke, inspired by artist the artist's figures.

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

Prize Committee's Position

Nicola Legat, head of the award foundation that oversees the prizes, said the organization takes 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,” she said.

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

The decision to revise the artificial intelligence guidelines was driven by a aim to protect the creative and copyright rights 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.”

Industry Considerations

Wilson pointed out that publishing houses and writers often use tools like grammar checkers and image editors, which utilize artificial intelligence, and this incident underscored the pressing requirement for carefully crafted guidelines.

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

Both Elizabeth Smither and Stephanie Johnson have previously served as judges for sections of the Ockham awards, and both emphasized that covers receive minimal consideration during evaluation.

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

The application of AI in artistic sectors has encountered growing scrutiny as the tech advances, with some groups developing methods to counter its influence.