A pair of award-winning New Zealand authors have had their books excluded from consideration for the country's esteemed literature prize because of the utilization of artificial intelligence in designing their book covers.
Stephanie Johnson's story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's novella set "Angel Train" were submitted for the Ockham 2026 literary prizes and its $65,000 New Zealand dollar fiction prize in October, but were ruled out the next month due to new guidelines concerning AI usage.
The publisher of both titles, Quentin Wilson, stated that the awards organizers amended the guidelines in the eighth month, by which point the cover designs for every submitted title would have previously been finalized.
“Consequently, it was much too late for publishers to incorporate this new rule into their design plans,” the publisher said.
Johnson expressed understanding for the award organizers, saying she shares deep concerns about artificial intelligence in artistic industries, but was let down 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.”
She added that writers usually have minimal input in book artwork and was did not know artificial intelligence had been employed for her book cover, which features 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, adding that unlike more tech-savvy generations, she struggles to recognize AI-generated graphics.
Johnson worried that the public might assume she used AI to write 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 comment, Elizabeth Smither said that the artists devoted considerable time creating her book's art, which features a steam train and an celestial figure partially hidden by smoke, inspired by artist Marc Chagall's figures.
“My primary concern is for the designers: their careful, detailed work … is not being respected,” Smither stated.
The trust chair, chair of the award foundation that administers the Ockham awards, affirmed the organization takes a “firm stance on the use of artificial intelligence 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 move to amend the artificial intelligence guidelines was driven by a desire to protect the creative and copyright interests 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.”
The publisher pointed out that publishers and writers often use software like grammar checkers and Photoshop, 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 Smither and Stephanie Johnson have in the past been jurors for sections of the prizes, and both emphasized that cover designs get minimal consideration during judging.
“The text itself and its detailed analysis were all that mattered,” the author said.
The application of AI in artistic fields has encountered growing scrutiny as the tech advances, with some groups creating ways to address its influence.
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