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

Exclusion Details

The author's short story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's short novel set "Angel Train" were entered for the Ockham 2026 literary prizes and its $65,000 New Zealand dollar fiction prize in October, but were ruled out the following month due to new rules concerning AI usage.

The publisher of the two titles, Quentin Wilson, explained that the awards organizers amended the criteria in the eighth month, by which time the cover designs for all submitted title 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 said.

Authors' Responses

The author voiced understanding for the award organizers, stating she shares serious worries about AI in creative fields, but was let down 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.”

Johnson added that writers typically have minimal input in cover design and was did not know AI had been employed for her cover, which features a cat 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,” Johnson explained, noting that unlike more tech-savvy generations, she finds it difficult to identify computer-created images.

Johnson worried that readers might assume she employed artificial intelligence to compose her book, 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, Smither said that the artists devoted hours creating her book's cover, which features a locomotive and an angel “half-obscured in the smoke”, influenced by artist Marc Chagall's imagery.

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

Award Trust's Position

The trust chair, head of the award foundation that oversees the Ockham awards, said the trust maintains a strong position on the use 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,” Legat stated.

“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 intellectual property rights of the country's writers and illustrators, she explained.

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

Industry Reflections

Wilson pointed out that publishing houses and authors regularly employ software like grammar checkers and Photoshop, which utilize artificial intelligence, and this situation underscored the urgent requirement for carefully crafted guidelines.

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

Both Elizabeth Smither and Stephanie Johnson have previously served as judges for sections of the prizes, and both emphasized that covers get little attention during evaluation.

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

The use of artificial intelligence in creative fields has encountered growing examination as the technology progresses, with some organizations creating methods to counter its impact.