Authors Removed from Aotearoa's Top Book Prize Following AI Use in Book Cover Artwork

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

Exclusion Details

Stephanie Johnson's short story collection "Obligate Carnivore" and Elizabeth Smither's novella collection "Angel Train" were entered for the 2026 Ockham book awards and its $65,000 New Zealand dollar fiction prize in the tenth month, but were disqualified the next thirty days because of new guidelines regarding AI usage.

The publishing house of both titles, the publisher, explained that the prize organizers amended the guidelines in August, by which point the covers for all entered book would have previously been completed.

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

Authors' Reactions

The author expressed sympathy for the award administrators, saying she shares serious worries about artificial intelligence in artistic fields, but was disappointed by the ruling.

“It would be untrue to claim I am not upset by this,” she remarked. “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 typically have minimal input in cover design and was unaware AI had been employed for her book cover, which displays a feline with human teeth.

“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 younger generations, she finds it difficult to recognize computer-created images.

Johnson worried that readers might think she used AI to compose her work, 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, Smither said that the artists spent considerable time crafting her publication's cover, which includes a locomotive and an angel “half-obscured in the smoke”, inspired by painter Marc Chagall's figures.

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

Prize Committee's Stance

Nicola Legat, head of the award foundation that oversees the Ockham awards, affirmed the organization takes a “firm stance 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,” Legat stated.

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

The move to amend the artificial intelligence criteria was driven by a desire to protect the creative and copyright interests of the country's authors and artists, she explained.

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

Industry Reflections

Wilson noted that publishing houses and writers often use tools like Grammarly and image editors, which utilize artificial intelligence, and this incident underscored the urgent need for carefully crafted guidelines.

“As an industry, we must work together to ensure that this situation does not happen again.”

Both Smither and Stephanie Johnson have previously served as judges for categories of the Ockham awards, and both stressed that covers get little consideration during judging.

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

The application of artificial intelligence in artistic fields has encountered growing examination as the tech progresses, with some groups creating ways to address its impact.