Excluded for Using AI on Cover: Controversy Surrounds New Zealand's Top Literary Award

AI Emerges as a Key Issue for Creativity and Copyright Across All Industries
Clear Guidelines Needed on the Use of AI

Recently, the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought copyright issues to the forefront across all industries. There are growing calls for a social consensus to ensure that the advancement of the AI industry is balanced with the fair protection of creators' rights. Amid this debate, New Zealand's most prestigious literary award has sparked controversy by excluding two works from its shortlist due to the use of AI in their cover designs.

Elizabeth Smither's Angel Train (left) and Stephanie Johnson's Obligate Carnivore (right) are cover designs. These cover designs were excluded from the 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards shortlist due to the use of AI design. The Guardian

On November 18 (local time), The Guardian reported that the Ockham Book Awards, New Zealand’s highest literary honor, excluded two works from its shortlist because AI was used in their cover design process. The excluded works are Stephanie Johnson’s short story collection Obligate Carnivore and Elizabeth Smither’s novella Angel Train. Both were submitted for the 2026 fiction category, but with the implementation of new AI-related guidelines, they were removed from consideration. Quentin Wilson, the publisher of both works, stated that the committee revised the guidelines in August, by which time the cover designs for the submitted works had already been completed.

Quentin Wilson explained, “It was too late for publishers to incorporate the relevant provisions into the designs,” and added, “It is heartbreaking that outstanding works are being penalized for an issue unrelated to the authors’ writing.” Johnson also expressed disappointment with the decision, while acknowledging concerns about the use of AI in creative fields. She said, “I didn’t know AI was used for the cover. I thought the cat’s teeth were composited onto a photo, but it turned out to be an AI-generated image.” She continued, “I’m worried that readers might mistakenly think I wrote the book using AI. I want to talk about the content, inspiration, and creative process behind the book, but every question is now about AI.”

Smither also commented on the controversy, saying, “The efforts of designers are being undervalued because of the AI debate.” The cover of her book, which depicts an angel obscured by a steam locomotive and smoke, was reportedly inspired by Marc Chagall. Nicola Legat, chair of the Ockham Book Awards Trust, which operates the awards, stated, “We have a firm stance on the use of AI in the book production process,” emphasizing that “the standards must be applied consistently to all entries.” She added that the recent revision of the guidelines was intended to protect creators and address copyright concerns.

Publisher Wilson noted, “Tools with AI elements, such as the document editor Grammarly or image editing software like Photoshop, are already widely used in the industry,” and stressed that, “The entire industry should use this case as an opportunity to establish clear guidelines on what constitutes AI use.”