🔗 Share this article

Two award-winning Kiwi authors have had their books disqualified from contention for the nation's prestigious literary prize due to the utilization of AI in creating their cover art.

Exclusion Particulars

The author's story compilation "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's short novel set "Angel Train" were submitted for the 2026 Ockham literary prizes and its NZ$65,000 fiction award in the tenth month, but were ruled out the following month because of recently introduced rules regarding AI usage.

The publisher of both books, Quentin Wilson, explained that the prize committee updated the criteria in August, by which point the covers for every submitted title would have previously been completed.

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

Authors' Responses

The author voiced sympathy for the prize 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 commented. “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 added that authors usually have minimal input in cover artwork and was did not know AI had been used for her 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, adding that unlike more tech-savvy age groups, she finds it difficult to recognize AI-generated images.

Johnson feared that the public might think she used artificial intelligence 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, Smither said that the artists spent considerable time crafting her book's cover, which features a locomotive and an celestial figure partially hidden by smoke, inspired by artist the artist's imagery.

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

Prize Trust's Stance

Nicola Legat, chair of the award foundation that oversees the prizes, affirmed the trust takes a strong position on the use of AI in books.”

“The trust does not take lightly a decision that prevents the latest works of two of New Zealand’s most esteemed writers from being considered for the 2026 award,” Legat stated.

“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 motivated by a desire to support the creative and intellectual property rights of the nation's writers and artists, she explained.

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

Publishing Reflections

Wilson noted that publishing houses and authors often employ software like Grammarly and Photoshop, which incorporate artificial intelligence, and this situation underscored the pressing requirement for well-defined guidelines.

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

Both Elizabeth Smither and Johnson have previously been jurors for sections of the Ockham awards, and both stressed that covers get minimal consideration during evaluation.

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

The application of artificial intelligence in creative fields has faced growing scrutiny as the tech advances, with some groups developing methods to counter its impact.