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A pair of acclaimed New Zealand writers have had their works excluded from contention for the nation's prestigious literary prize due to the use of artificial intelligence in designing their cover art.

Exclusion Particulars

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

The publishing house of the two books, the publisher, stated that the prize committee updated the criteria in the eighth month, by which point the covers for every submitted title would have previously been finalized.

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

Authors' Responses

The author expressed sympathy for the award organizers, stating she has deep concerns about AI in creative fields, but was disappointed by the ruling.

“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 added that writers usually have little involvement in book artwork and was unaware artificial intelligence had been used 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,” Johnson said, adding that unlike more tech-savvy age groups, she finds it difficult to identify AI-generated graphics.

The writer feared that readers might assume she employed artificial intelligence to compose her work, 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 comment, 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 artist the artist's imagery.

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

Prize Trust's Position

The trust chair, chair of the book awards trust that oversees the Ockham awards, said the organization maintains a strong position on the use of AI 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,” Legat said.

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

The move to revise the AI criteria was motivated by a aim to support the creative and intellectual property interests 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

The publisher pointed out that publishing houses and writers regularly employ tools like Grammarly and image editors, which utilize AI, 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 Johnson have in the past served as judges for sections of the prizes, and both emphasized that cover designs receive minimal attention during judging.

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

The application of artificial intelligence in creative fields has faced increasing examination as the tech advances, with some groups creating ways to counter its impact.