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Two award-winning New Zealand writers have had their books disqualified from contention for the nation's esteemed literary award due to the use of AI in creating their cover art.

Exclusion Particulars

Stephanie Johnson's short story compilation "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's short novel collection "Angel Train" were entered for the Ockham 2026 literary prizes and its NZ$65,000 fiction prize in the tenth month, but were ruled out the following month due to new rules concerning AI usage.

The publishing house of the two books, the publisher, explained that the prize organizers amended the guidelines in the eighth month, by which point the cover designs for every submitted title 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 noted.

Authors' Responses

Johnson voiced sympathy for the prize administrators, stating she has deep concerns about artificial intelligence in creative industries, but was disappointed by the decision.

“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 further stated that authors usually have little involvement in cover artwork and was unaware AI had been used for her book cover, which displays a feline with human teeth.

“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, adding that unlike more tech-savvy generations, she finds it difficult to identify AI-generated images.

Johnson feared that readers might assume she used artificial intelligence to compose her book, which she categorically 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 comment, Smither said that the designers spent considerable time creating her publication's art, which includes a locomotive and an angel partially hidden by smoke, influenced by painter the artist's imagery.

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

Prize Committee's Position

The trust chair, head of the award foundation that administers the Ockham awards, affirmed the organization takes a strong position on the use 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,” she 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 driven by a desire to protect the creative 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 writers regularly use software like grammar checkers and image editors, which utilize AI, and this situation underscored the pressing requirement for carefully crafted policies.

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

Both Elizabeth Smither and Stephanie 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 concluded.

The use of artificial intelligence in creative fields has encountered increasing scrutiny as the technology progresses, with some groups developing ways to counter its influence.