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A pair of award-winning Kiwi authors have had their books excluded from contention for the country's esteemed literature prize because of the use of AI in designing their cover art.

Disqualification Details

Stephanie Johnson's short story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's novella set "Angel Train" were submitted for the Ockham 2026 book awards and its $65,000 New Zealand dollar fiction award in October, but were disqualified the following thirty days due to recently introduced guidelines concerning artificial intelligence usage.

The publisher of the two books, the publisher, explained that the awards organizers updated the criteria in the eighth month, by which point the cover designs for all entered book would have previously been finalized.

“Consequently, it was much too late for publishers to incorporate this new rule into their design plans,” the publisher noted.

Authors' Responses

Johnson expressed understanding for the award organizers, saying she has serious worries about artificial intelligence in artistic industries, but was disappointed by the decision.

“It would be untrue to claim I am not upset by this,” she commented. “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 further stated that writers usually have minimal involvement in cover artwork and was did not know artificial intelligence had been employed for her book cover, which displays 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,” the author explained, adding that unlike more tech-savvy age groups, she finds it difficult to recognize AI-generated graphics.

Johnson feared that readers might assume she used AI to write her book, which she categorically denied.

“Rather than discussing my book's themes and inspirations, we're focused on this AI issue, which I despise.”

In a statement, Elizabeth Smither expressed that the artists spent considerable time creating her publication's cover, which features a steam train and an angel “half-obscured in the smoke”, influenced by painter Marc Chagall's imagery.

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

Award Committee's Position

Nicola Legat, head of the book awards trust that administers the prizes, affirmed the organization takes a “firm stance on the application of artificial intelligence 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,” Legat said.

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

The move to revise the artificial intelligence guidelines was motivated by a desire to support the artistic and intellectual property interests of the nation'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.”

Industry Reflections

The publisher pointed out that publishers and authors regularly use tools like grammar checkers and image editors, which utilize AI, and this incident underscored the pressing need for well-defined guidelines.

“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 served as judges for categories of the Ockham awards, and both stressed that cover designs receive little attention during evaluation.

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

The application of AI in artistic sectors has faced growing examination as the tech advances, with some groups developing methods to address its influence.