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Two award-winning Kiwi authors have had their books excluded from contention for the nation's prestigious literature award because of the use of AI in creating their book covers.

Disqualification Details

The author's short story compilation "Obligate Carnivore" and Elizabeth Smither's short novel set "Angel Train" were submitted for the 2026 Ockham book awards and its $65,000 New Zealand dollar novel award in the tenth month, but were disqualified the next month because of new guidelines concerning AI use.

The publishing house of the two titles, the publisher, explained that the awards committee updated the criteria in August, by which time the covers 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,” Wilson noted.

Authors' Reactions

Johnson voiced sympathy for the award organizers, saying she shares serious worries about artificial intelligence in artistic industries, but was let down 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 further stated that authors usually have minimal involvement in book design and was did not know AI had been used for her book cover, which features a cat with human-like teeth.

“I believed it was an actual cat photo with superimposed teeth, but that was not the case,” the author said, noting that unlike younger generations, she struggles to identify AI-generated images.

The writer worried that the public might think she used AI to write her work, 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 considerable time creating her publication's art, which features a locomotive and an angel “half-obscured in the smoke”, inspired by painter the artist's figures.

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

Award Trust's Stance

Nicola Legat, head of the award foundation that administers the Ockham awards, affirmed the trust maintains a “firm stance on the application of AI in publications.”

“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,” she said.

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

The move to revise the AI criteria was motivated by a aim to support the artistic and copyright interests of the country's authors and artists, she added.

“As AI evolves, there may well be a need for the trust to revisit and develop the criteria further.”

Publishing Considerations

The publisher pointed out that publishers and writers often use software like grammar checkers and image editors, which incorporate artificial intelligence, and this incident highlighted the urgent requirement for well-defined policies.

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

Both Elizabeth Smither and Stephanie Johnson have in the past been jurors for categories of the prizes, and both stressed that cover designs receive little attention during judging.

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

The application of AI in artistic fields has encountered growing examination as the tech advances, with some groups creating methods to counter its influence.