🔗 Share this article

A pair of award-winning New Zealand writers have had their works disqualified from contention for the country's prestigious literary award because of the utilization of AI in creating their cover art.

Exclusion Particulars

Stephanie Johnson's short story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and Elizabeth Smither's novella set "Angel Train" were submitted for the Ockham 2026 book awards and its NZ$65,000 fiction award in the tenth month, but were disqualified the next month due to recently introduced rules concerning AI usage.

The publisher of both titles, Quentin Wilson, stated that the awards organizers updated the guidelines in the eighth month, by which point the cover designs for all 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,” the publisher noted.

Authors' Reactions

Johnson voiced sympathy for the award organizers, saying she has deep concerns about AI in creative fields, but was let down by the decision.

“It would be untrue to claim I am not upset by this,” 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.”

She further stated that authors typically have little involvement in book artwork and was unaware artificial intelligence had been employed for her book cover, which features a cat 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,” Johnson said, noting that unlike more tech-savvy generations, she finds it difficult to recognize AI-generated images.

Johnson worried that readers might assume she used AI to write her book, which she categorically 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 expressed that the artists devoted considerable time crafting her book's art, which includes a steam train and an celestial figure “half-obscured in the smoke”, influenced by artist the artist's imagery.

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

Award Committee's Stance

The trust chair, head of the award foundation that administers the prizes, affirmed the trust takes a “firm stance on the use of artificial intelligence 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.

“Nevertheless, the rules apply equally to every participant, no matter their standing, and must be enforced uniformly.”

The decision to amend the AI criteria was driven by a aim to support the creative and copyright interests of the nation's writers 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

Wilson pointed out that publishers and writers regularly use tools like grammar checkers and Photoshop, which incorporate artificial intelligence, and this incident underscored the pressing requirement for carefully crafted guidelines.

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

Both Elizabeth Smither and Johnson have previously served as judges for sections of the Ockham awards, and both emphasized that cover designs get little consideration during judging.

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

The application of AI in artistic fields has faced increasing scrutiny as the technology progresses, with some groups creating methods to counter its influence.