🔗 Share this article

A pair of acclaimed Kiwi writers have had their works excluded from consideration for the country's esteemed literary award due to the use of artificial intelligence in designing their cover art.

Disqualification Details

The author's short story compilation "Obligate Carnivore" and Elizabeth Smither's short novel collection "Angel Train" were submitted for the Ockham 2026 book awards and its $65,000 New Zealand dollar novel prize in the tenth month, but were disqualified the following month due to recently introduced rules regarding AI use.

The publisher of both books, the publisher, stated that the awards committee updated the criteria in the eighth month, by which time the covers for every submitted title 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,” the publisher noted.

Authors' Responses

The author expressed sympathy for the award organizers, stating she shares serious worries about artificial intelligence in artistic industries, but was let down by the decision.

“It would be untrue to claim I am not upset by this,” she remarked. “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 writers typically have minimal input in cover design and was did not know artificial intelligence had been used for her book cover, which displays a cat 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 identify AI-generated graphics.

The writer feared that readers might think she used AI to write her work, which she emphatically denied.

“Instead of talking about my book … and what the inspiration was, we are talking about bloody AI, which I hate.”

In a statement, Smither expressed that the artists spent hours crafting her publication's art, which includes a locomotive and an celestial figure partially hidden by smoke, influenced by painter Marc Chagall's imagery.

“My primary concern is for the designers: their careful, detailed work … is not being respected,” she remarked.

Award Trust's Stance

Nicola Legat, chair of the book awards trust that administers the prizes, said the trust maintains a strong position on the application of AI 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 artificial intelligence criteria was motivated by a desire to protect the creative and intellectual property interests 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.”

Publishing Considerations

The publisher noted that publishers and writers often employ tools like Grammarly and Photoshop, which utilize AI, and this incident underscored the pressing need for carefully crafted guidelines.

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

Both Smither and Stephanie Johnson have in the past served as judges for sections of the prizes, and both stressed that cover designs get minimal consideration during evaluation.

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

The application of artificial intelligence in artistic sectors has faced increasing examination as the technology advances, with some organizations creating methods to address its influence.