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A pair of award-winning New Zealand writers have had their works excluded from contention for the nation's prestigious literary award due to the utilization of AI in creating their book covers.

Exclusion Particulars

Stephanie Johnson's short story compilation "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's novella collection "Angel Train" were entered for the Ockham 2026 book awards and its NZ$65,000 novel award in October, but were ruled out the following thirty days due to new guidelines concerning artificial intelligence use.

The publisher of both books, the publisher, stated that the prize committee updated the criteria in the eighth month, by which time the cover designs for all submitted book would have already been finalized.

“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 expressed understanding for the award organizers, saying she has serious worries about artificial intelligence in artistic fields, 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.”

Johnson further stated that authors typically have minimal input in cover design and was did not know AI had been employed for her cover, which displays a cat with human-like dentition.

“I believed it was an actual cat photo with superimposed teeth, but that was not the case,” the author explained, adding that unlike more tech-savvy generations, she finds it difficult to recognize AI-generated images.

Johnson worried that the public might assume she employed AI to compose her work, 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 artists devoted hours crafting her publication's cover, which includes a steam train and an celestial figure “half-obscured in the smoke”, inspired by painter Marc Chagall's imagery.

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

Prize Trust's Stance

Nicola Legat, chair of the book awards trust that oversees the Ockham awards, affirmed the organization takes a strong position on the application of artificial intelligence 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 said.

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

The move to revise the artificial intelligence criteria was motivated by a aim to protect the creative and intellectual property rights of the country's authors and illustrators, 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 publishers and authors often employ software like Grammarly and image editors, which utilize AI, and this incident highlighted the pressing requirement for carefully crafted policies.

“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 little attention during evaluation.

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

The application of AI in creative sectors has encountered increasing examination as the tech advances, with some groups creating methods to counter its impact.