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A pair of award-winning Kiwi writers have had their books disqualified from consideration for the nation's esteemed literature award due to the use of AI in creating their book covers.

Exclusion Particulars

The author's story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's short novel collection "Angel Train" were entered for the Ockham 2026 book awards and its $65,000 New Zealand dollar novel award in the tenth month, but were ruled out the next thirty days due to recently introduced guidelines regarding artificial intelligence usage.

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 all submitted book 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 said.

Authors' Responses

Johnson voiced sympathy for the award administrators, saying she shares deep concerns about artificial intelligence in artistic fields, but was let down by the ruling.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sad about it,” 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 added that writers usually have minimal input in cover design and was unaware AI had been employed for her cover, which displays a feline with human dentition.

“I believed it was an actual cat photo with superimposed teeth, but that was not the case,” Johnson said, adding that unlike younger age groups, she struggles to identify computer-created images.

The writer worried that the public might think she used AI to compose her book, which she emphatically did not do.

“Rather than discussing my book's themes and inspirations, we're focused on this AI issue, which I despise.”

In a comment, Smither said that the designers devoted hours crafting her publication's cover, which includes a locomotive 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 stated.

Prize Committee's Position

The trust chair, chair of the award foundation that administers the prizes, affirmed the organization maintains a “firm stance on the application 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,” Legat stated.

“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 guidelines was driven by a aim to protect the artistic and intellectual property rights of the country's writers and illustrators, she explained.

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

Industry Considerations

Wilson noted that publishing houses and authors regularly employ tools like Grammarly and image editors, which utilize artificial intelligence, and this situation underscored the pressing requirement for well-defined policies.

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

Both Smither and Johnson have in the past been jurors for sections of the Ockham awards, and both emphasized that covers get little attention during judging.

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

The use of AI in creative sectors has encountered growing examination as the technology progresses, with some organizations developing ways to address its influence.