Writers Eliminated from New Zealand's Premier Book Award After Artificial Intelligence Use in Book Cover Designs
A pair of acclaimed New Zealand authors have had their books disqualified from contention for the country's prestigious literature award because of the utilization of artificial intelligence in designing their book covers.
Disqualification Particulars
The author's story compilation "Obligate Carnivore" and the writer's novella set "Angel Train" were entered for the Ockham 2026 literary prizes and its NZ$65,000 novel prize in the tenth month, but were ruled out the following month due to recently introduced guidelines concerning artificial intelligence use.
The publishing house of the two titles, Quentin Wilson, explained that the prize organizers amended the criteria in the eighth month, by which point the covers for all submitted title would have already been finalized.
“Consequently, it was much too late for publishers to incorporate this new rule into their design plans,” the publisher noted.
Writers' Responses
The author expressed sympathy for the award administrators, stating she shares deep concerns about AI in artistic industries, but was let down by the ruling.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sad about it,” 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 little input in book design and was did not know AI had been employed for her book cover, which features a cat with human-like teeth.
“I believed it was an actual cat photo with superimposed teeth, but that was not the case,” the author explained, adding that unlike more tech-savvy generations, she finds it difficult to recognize computer-created images.
Johnson worried that readers might think she employed AI to compose her book, which she categorically did not do.
“Instead of talking about my book … and what the inspiration was, we are talking about bloody AI, which I hate.”
In a comment, Smither said that the designers spent considerable time crafting her publication's art, which features a locomotive and an celestial figure “half-obscured in the smoke”, influenced by painter Marc Chagall's figures.
“It is them I am most concerned about: that their meticulous work … is being disrespected,” Smither remarked.
Award Committee's Position
The trust chair, head of the award foundation that oversees the Ockham awards, affirmed the trust takes a “firm stance on the application of artificial intelligence in publications.”
“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,” she said.
“However, the criteria apply to all entrants, regardless of their mana [status], and must be consistently applied to all.”
The decision to amend the AI guidelines was motivated by a aim to support the artistic and intellectual property interests of the country's writers and artists, she explained.
“With artificial intelligence advancing, the trust may need to review and refine these criteria in the future.”
Industry Considerations
The publisher noted that publishers and authors regularly employ software like Grammarly and Photoshop, which incorporate artificial intelligence, and this situation underscored the urgent requirement for well-defined policies.
“Our industry must collaborate to prevent a recurrence of this scenario.”
Both Elizabeth 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 contents and the close reading were everything,” Smither said.
The use of AI in creative sectors has faced increasing examination as the tech progresses, with some organizations creating ways to counter its impact.
