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Two award-winning Kiwi authors have had their books excluded from contention for the country's esteemed literature prize due to the use of AI in designing their book covers.

Exclusion Particulars

Stephanie Johnson's short story compilation "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's novella collection "Angel Train" were entered for the Ockham 2026 book awards and its $65,000 New Zealand dollar fiction prize in the tenth month, but were disqualified the following month because of recently introduced rules concerning artificial intelligence usage.

The publishing house of the two titles, Quentin Wilson, explained that the awards committee updated the guidelines in the eighth month, by which time the covers for all submitted book would have already been finalized.

“It was, therefore, far too late for any publisher to have taken this clause into account in their design briefs,” Wilson said.

Writers' Reactions

The author expressed sympathy for the award administrators, saying she shares deep concerns about AI in creative fields, but was let down by the ruling.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sad about it,” 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 added that authors usually have little input in book artwork and was unaware artificial intelligence had been employed for her book cover, which features a cat with human teeth.

“I believed it was an actual cat photo with superimposed teeth, but that was not the case,” Johnson said, noting that unlike more tech-savvy generations, she struggles to recognize computer-created images.

The writer 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, Elizabeth Smither said that the artists devoted considerable time creating her publication's art, which includes a locomotive and an celestial figure “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 remarked.

Prize Trust's Position

The trust chair, chair of the award foundation that administers the prizes, affirmed the trust maintains 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,” 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 AI guidelines was driven by a aim to support the artistic and copyright rights of the country's authors and illustrators, she explained.

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

Publishing Considerations

The publisher noted that publishing houses and authors regularly employ software like Grammarly and Photoshop, which utilize AI, and this situation underscored the urgent need for well-defined policies.

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

Both Elizabeth Smither and Stephanie Johnson have previously served as judges for categories of the prizes, 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 encountered growing examination as the technology advances, with some groups creating ways to address its influence.