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A pair of award-winning New Zealand authors have had their works disqualified from contention for the country's prestigious literary prize because of the utilization of artificial intelligence in designing their book covers.

Exclusion Particulars

The author's story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and Elizabeth Smither's novella collection "Angel Train" were submitted for the 2026 Ockham literary prizes and its $65,000 New Zealand dollar novel prize in October, but were disqualified the next month because of recently introduced rules regarding AI use.

The publishing house of both books, the publisher, explained that the awards organizers updated the guidelines in the eighth month, by which time the cover designs for every entered title 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,” Wilson said.

Writers' Reactions

Johnson voiced understanding for the prize organizers, saying she shares deep concerns about artificial intelligence in artistic industries, but was disappointed by the ruling.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sad about it,” she remarked. “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.”

Johnson added that writers usually have little involvement in book artwork and was did not know artificial intelligence had been used for her book cover, which displays a feline with human dentition.

“I just thought it was a photograph of a real cat and the teeth had been superimposed, but apparently it wasn’t,” the author explained, noting that unlike more tech-savvy generations, she struggles to identify computer-created graphics.

The writer worried that the public might assume she employed artificial intelligence to write her book, which she categorically denied.

“Instead of talking about my book … and what the inspiration was, we are talking about bloody AI, which I hate.”

In a statement, Smither said that the artists devoted hours creating her book's art, which features a locomotive and an celestial figure partially hidden by smoke, influenced by artist the artist's imagery.

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

Award Trust's Position

The trust chair, chair of the book awards trust that oversees the Ockham awards, affirmed the organization takes 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,” Legat said.

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

The decision to amend the artificial intelligence criteria was motivated by a desire to protect the artistic and intellectual property rights of the nation'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.”

Publishing Reflections

Wilson noted that publishers and authors regularly use software like grammar checkers and image editors, which utilize AI, and this incident underscored the urgent requirement for well-defined 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 stressed that cover designs get little consideration during judging.

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

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