🔗 Share this article

Two award-winning Kiwi authors have had their books disqualified from contention for the nation's esteemed literary award because of the utilization of artificial intelligence in creating their cover art.

Disqualification Details

Stephanie Johnson's story compilation "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's short novel set "Angel Train" were submitted for the 2026 Ockham book awards and its NZ$65,000 fiction prize in the tenth month, but were disqualified the next thirty days due to new rules concerning AI usage.

The publishing house of the two titles, the publisher, stated that the prize organizers updated the guidelines in the eighth month, by which time the cover designs for all submitted title would have previously been finalized.

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

Authors' Reactions

Johnson voiced sympathy for the award organizers, stating she has serious worries about artificial intelligence in artistic fields, but was let down 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 authors usually have minimal involvement in cover artwork and was unaware artificial intelligence had been used for her book cover, which features 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 said, adding that unlike younger age groups, she struggles to identify computer-created images.

The writer worried that readers might think 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, Elizabeth Smither expressed that the designers devoted considerable time creating her book's cover, which includes a locomotive and an angel “half-obscured in the smoke”, influenced by painter Marc Chagall's figures.

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

Prize Trust's Position

The trust chair, head of the book awards trust that administers the Ockham awards, said the trust maintains a “firm stance on the application of AI in publications.”

“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 move to amend the AI guidelines was motivated by a desire to protect the artistic and copyright rights of the country's writers and artists, she explained.

“With artificial intelligence advancing, the trust may need to review and refine these criteria in the future.”

Industry Considerations

The publisher noted that publishing houses and writers regularly use tools like Grammarly and image editors, which incorporate artificial intelligence, and this incident underscored the pressing requirement for well-defined guidelines.

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

Both Smither and Johnson have in the past been jurors for sections of the prizes, and both emphasized that covers receive minimal consideration during evaluation.

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

The use of artificial intelligence in artistic fields has encountered growing scrutiny as the tech advances, with some groups creating methods to address its impact.