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A pair of award-winning Kiwi authors have had their books excluded from consideration for the country's prestigious literary prize due to the use of artificial intelligence in creating their cover art.

Disqualification Details

The author's short story compilation "Obligate Carnivore" and Elizabeth Smither's short novel set "Angel Train" were entered for the 2026 Ockham literary prizes and its $65,000 New Zealand dollar novel prize in October, but were disqualified the next thirty days due to recently introduced guidelines concerning artificial intelligence usage.

The publishing house of the two titles, Quentin Wilson, explained that the prize organizers updated the guidelines in the eighth month, by which point the covers for every submitted book would have previously been finalized.

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

Writers' Reactions

The author voiced sympathy for the prize administrators, saying she has serious worries about artificial intelligence in artistic fields, but was let down by the decision.

“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.”

Johnson further stated that writers typically have little involvement in cover artwork and was did not know AI had been used for her book cover, which features a cat with human dentition.

“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 age groups, she finds it difficult to identify AI-generated images.

The writer worried that readers might assume she employed AI to write her book, 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 comment, Elizabeth Smither expressed that the designers devoted considerable time creating her publication's art, which features a locomotive and an angel partially hidden by smoke, inspired by artist Marc Chagall's figures.

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

Award Committee's Stance

The trust chair, chair of the award foundation that oversees the Ockham awards, affirmed the organization takes a “firm stance on the use 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 revise the AI guidelines was motivated by a aim to protect the artistic and intellectual property rights of the nation's authors and artists, she added.

“With artificial intelligence advancing, the trust may need to review and refine these criteria in the future.”

Industry Reflections

The publisher pointed out that publishing houses and writers often employ tools like Grammarly and image editors, which utilize artificial intelligence, and this incident highlighted the pressing need for carefully crafted guidelines.

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

Both Elizabeth Smither and Johnson have in the past been jurors for categories of the prizes, and both emphasized that cover designs receive little attention during evaluation.

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

The application of artificial intelligence in artistic sectors has faced growing scrutiny as the technology progresses, with some organizations creating ways to counter its impact.