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Two award-winning Kiwi writers have had their works excluded from consideration for the nation's prestigious literary prize because of the use of artificial intelligence in creating their cover art.

Exclusion Details

Stephanie Johnson's story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's novella set "Angel Train" were submitted for the Ockham 2026 book awards and its NZ$65,000 novel prize in October, but were disqualified the next thirty days due to new guidelines concerning artificial intelligence use.

The publishing house of the two titles, Quentin Wilson, stated that the awards organizers updated the criteria in the eighth month, by which time the covers for every entered title would have already been finalized.

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

Authors' Responses

The author expressed sympathy for the prize administrators, saying she has deep concerns about artificial intelligence in artistic industries, but was disappointed by the ruling.

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

She further stated that authors typically have minimal involvement in cover design and was did not know artificial intelligence had been used for her book cover, which features a cat with human-like dentition.

“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 younger age groups, she struggles to recognize AI-generated images.

Johnson feared that the public might assume she employed 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 statement, Smither expressed that the designers spent hours creating her book's art, which features a steam train and an angel partially hidden by smoke, influenced by artist Marc Chagall's figures.

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

Prize Trust's Stance

The trust chair, chair of the book awards trust that administers the prizes, affirmed the organization maintains a strong position on the use of AI in books.”

“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 stated.

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

The move to amend the AI guidelines was motivated by a desire to support the artistic and copyright interests of the nation's writers and illustrators, she added.

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

Publishing Considerations

Wilson noted that publishers and writers regularly use software like grammar checkers and Photoshop, which utilize AI, and this incident highlighted the pressing need for carefully crafted guidelines.

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

Both Smither and Stephanie Johnson have previously been jurors for sections of the prizes, and both emphasized that cover designs get minimal consideration during judging.

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

The application of AI in creative sectors has faced increasing examination as the tech advances, with some organizations developing ways to address its impact.