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Two award-winning Kiwi writers have had their books excluded from consideration for the country's esteemed literary award due to the utilization of artificial intelligence in creating their book covers.

Disqualification Particulars

The author's short story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and Elizabeth Smither's short novel collection "Angel Train" were submitted for the 2026 Ockham book awards and its $65,000 New Zealand dollar fiction award in October, but were ruled out the next thirty days because of recently introduced rules concerning AI usage.

The publisher of the two books, the publisher, explained that the prize committee amended the criteria in the eighth month, by which point the covers for all submitted 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 said.

Authors' Reactions

Johnson voiced sympathy for the prize organizers, saying she shares serious worries about AI in artistic industries, but was let down by the decision.

“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 further stated that writers usually have little involvement in book design and was unaware AI had been used 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 said, noting that unlike more tech-savvy age groups, she finds it difficult to identify computer-created graphics.

The writer feared that the public might assume she employed AI to write her book, which she emphatically 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 expressed that the artists spent hours creating her publication's art, which includes a locomotive and an celestial figure partially hidden by smoke, inspired by painter Marc Chagall's figures.

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

Prize Trust's Stance

The trust chair, chair of the book awards trust that administers the prizes, affirmed the organization maintains a strong position on the use of AI 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,” she said.

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

The decision to revise the artificial intelligence guidelines was motivated by a aim to support the creative and intellectual property rights of the nation's writers and illustrators, she added.

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

Industry Considerations

Wilson pointed out that publishing houses and writers regularly use tools like grammar checkers and image editors, which utilize AI, and this situation underscored the urgent requirement for carefully crafted guidelines.

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

Both Smither and Stephanie Johnson have in the past been jurors for categories of the Ockham awards, and both stressed that covers get little attention during judging.

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

The application of AI in creative fields has faced increasing scrutiny as the tech progresses, with some organizations creating ways to counter its influence.