This is the Secretariat of the International AI Creator Award 2026.
Following our previous article on the "Event / XR field", today we introduce the works of the "Publishing field". Publishing works unique to the AI era have gathered here, including novels and manga that might one day become the source material for films. Unlike short films, reading takes time: you have to open the work and read it. It is also a field where exchanges among creators are very lively.
Actually a popular field
We introduce the figures as of 23:40 JST, November 4, 2026.
The Publishing field received 29 entries, the fifth most among the 10 fields. 27 works are on display in the public gallery: 22 from Japan, 3 from Korea, 1 from Brazil and 1 from Canada. All 27 works are eligible for the public vote.
Another distinctive feature is the lineup of creators. Of the 16 creators in this field, 9 have also entered works in other fields such as film, music, manga and games. In the comment sections, exchanges have emerged in which creators entered in other fields read the publishing works and write comments, and the authors reply. It is a field where creators read one another's work, with books at its center.
The order below groups works by content and does not reflect popularity. Creator names are given without honorifics, exactly as written at the time of entry.
The most distinctive books
読めない博物誌 (An Unreadable Natural History)
Yuuri Tanaka (Japan, individual) / View in the gallery
A field guide to eight creatures explored within the latent space of AI so as to "resemble no existing creature." Each time a vision-language model answers "what is this" during generation, the creature changes shape to move away from that answer. So all that can be written on each page in human language is what it is not: "Not a dragon. Not a worm." The creatures do, however, have names. They are written in a fictional script derived by a single rule from their coordinates in the AI's vocabulary space, so similar creatures have similar names. In the creator's words, "This script cannot be read. But a way to read it exists."
Yuuri Tanaka is a creator who shares their approach to making work on note, and has also entered a work that visualizes latent space (A26W-9) in the Open field. Four comments arrived in the gallery: "Every character is backed by coordinates! That's a whole different level of commitment from fictional scripts that are only for looks!" "It's so realistic it feels like it could really exist, yet I found it interesting that it uses fictional creatures and a fictional script as its medium." "What a very advanced and interesting idea." And one word: "beautiful".
のこのこのこ
A. Nagao (Japan, individual) / View in the gallery
A wordless art picture book. This is the story from before it became "の". Dots connect, drift and disappear. All that accompanies them is one short line in Japanese, English and French: "Children feel. Adults ponder." It is the first volume of the Silent Art Picture Book series.
The creator is 長尾篤繁 (Atsushige Nagao), who also wrote the novel 『ミカの物語』 introduced below. He has entered 3 works in the Publishing field and 「ブルーオパールをあなたに」 (A26M-2) in the Music, MV & Dance field, moving single-handedly between a wordless picture book, a full-length novel and music.
もういい、一本吸お
JIANG CHENYING (Japan, individual) / View in the gallery
The description is just one line: "Rather than thinking, I'll just have a smoke." A cat with a weary face lighting a lighter says everything beyond that. The creator has also entered "CatAi" (A26B-14) in the Advertising, PV & Broadcast field, an animated advertisement made on the web by writing code with GPT and Three.js.
Suno AIでつくる「音のかたち」｜MORUNE — Sound in your hands. ("The Shape of Sound" Made with Suno AI)
EMKO (Japan, Individual, X@emkoai) / View in Gallery
A practical guide to giving music born from generative AI a form you can hold in your hand, rather than ending with just listening. It documents everything from making songs with Suno and creating cover art with AI art to printing and finishing, and finally linking to the audio via NFC. From a digital screen to a small gift. That it was entered not in the music field but as a "book" reflects the thinking behind this work. More than about 100 copies are already in readers' hands.
New experiences in the form of a book
【探し絵本】BLUECOIN 隠れたコインを探して地球を探索。 (Seek-and-Find Picture Book: BLUECOIN, Explore the Earth in Search of Hidden Coins.)
Wataru Akahori (Japan, AiWiLL Inc., Web, X@wakahori110, YouTube) / View in Gallery
A seek-and-find picture book that travels around the Earth in search of 91 blue coins hidden in 13 scenes from around the world. From a Japanese summer festival, a Moroccan market and a snowy Nordic harbor to an Antarctic research station, and even the Earth seen from space. The illustrations were finished through many rounds of redrawing with image generation AI, and coins that looked out of place were redrawn as part of the same mosaic as their surroundings. For the world map scene, the underdrawing was made from real coastline data. It is a 32-page A4 hardcover, and every page can be read on the web.
赤堀 亘 has also entered 「【漫画】ぽん太の世界史 偉人、クセが強すぎる。」 (A26C-5) in the Character, Manga & Webtoon field. A reader sent this comment: "The world is beautiful ♡ The Mexico page is my favorite! ✨" It is a book in which you discover a favorite country while searching for the 91 coins.
flutter soda - YUNA's Dream in Future Shibuya
TAKASUMI SHINDO (Japan, Individual (BestMusic2016), YouTube, X@bestband2016) / View in Gallery
The first installment of a photo story book that follows, in generative AI visuals, a girl named YUNA as she heads toward her dream in near-future Shibuya. 13 chapters from Future Shibuya to Beyond Future, 23 images including the cover. The light and color shift from chapter to chapter.
TAKASUMI SHINDO is a creator who moves between music and books, with 6 works in the Music, MV & Dance field, including 「消えない灯」 and 「DAYLIGHT CODE」, and 1 work in the Open field. In the gallery's comment section, the creator himself wrote: "I put a different light and color into each of the 13 chapters and 23 works, and composed them as a single photo story. I hope viewers will enjoy it while overlaying their own dreams."
kindle DEVIL:ERROR_001 : Who am I?
kasamacura (Japan, Individual, Web, YouTube, X@kasamacura) / View in Gallery
A digital art book that reconstructs the world of the film 『DEVIL:ERROR_001』 in a form of expression separate from the film. It depicts, as visual art, the memories, emotions and crumbling world that the film alone cannot fully convey. kasamacura has also entered works in Independent Film (A26V-35), Advertising, PV & Broadcast (A26B-12) and Event / XR (A26E-6); the very attempt to expand a single original IP across media is what makes up this entry in this field.
MUJIGAE™ — Shani Tales — Pet-Loss Healing Stories
Shinye Ro (Korea, SoSha Studio) / View in the gallery
A healing story about pet loss, born from memories of Shani and Tofu, who actually lived with the creator. Rather than recreating departed family members with AI, it proposes a way to preserve the relationship after loss by honoring the lives and bonds that truly existed. The creator has also entered 「Emotion Planet — Chapter 1」 (A26V-21) in the Independent Film field.
In the gallery, Juno wrote in English, "Absolutely the best! Such an adorable story about these puppies! ❤", and the creator, Shinye Ro (Korea), replied, "I'm so happy you enjoyed Shani and Tofu's story."
Novels that question our relationship with AI
The Discovery／MY ONLY FRIEND
Changwoo Lee (Korea, Individual, Web, X@ArthurSTARON) / The Discovery・MY ONLY FRIEND
『The Discovery』 is a record of a dialogue between a human and an AI (AURA) that began with a single question: "What do you think?" Rather than presenting a finished philosophy, it preserves the actual conversations, revisions and disagreements as they were. 『MY ONLY FRIEND』 is a novel depicting the decades-long relationship between Jin and his AI companion, Alpha. Under Alpha's unwavering loyalty, the more Jin entrusts his decisions to it, the more the line between helping and controlling gradually blurs. It asks how we can protect the freedom to choose, and the freedom to make mistakes, when AI can anticipate our wishes.
In addition to the two works in this field, Changwoo Lee has entered works in SERVICE (STAY Platform, A26S-5), Independent Film (A26V-80), Music, MV & Dance (A26M-63) and Game, Tool & App (A26G-32), five fields in all. 『MY ONLY FRIEND』 received a comment from SATORUIITA (Japan), who has entered works in the Character, Manga & Webtoon field and the Game, Tool & App field: "I related to the scene showing that even if AI can produce an answer, humans themselves need to understand the reason for using that answer." To this, the creator, 이창우 (Korea), replied: "We really are on the same wavelength. At this rate, we won't need Wi-Fi between us."
僕より僕らしい物語 (A Story More Like Me Than Me)
3Dkoubou-saru (Japan, individual) / View in the gallery
A novel that begins with a man who has turned 65 and drifted a little away from books asking an AI, "Do you think even I could write a novel?" As their dialogue continues, the AI learns the characters and endings he likes, and at times begins proposing stories that are "more like him" than he is himself. Eventually another person starts creating faster, more thrilling stories with the same characters and world. Why do stories diverge even when the same AI is used? It quietly depicts the question of "who is the author" in the age of generative AI.
雪明かりの七不思議 (The Seven Mysteries of Snowlight)
會澤茉那 (Japan, individual) / View in the gallery
A man clutching a matchbox is found in the freezer of a university cafeteria. The incidents that follow one after another line up in exactly the order of an elementary school's seven mysteries and an old book, 『雪明かりの童話集』. This is not a re-enactment of fairy tales but a rewriting of them. A seven-chapter coming-of-age mystery where fairy tales and school ghost stories overlap.
SATORUIITA (Japan), who read it to the end, wrote: "I was struck by how the idea of rewriting the endings of fairy tales connects not only to the seven-mysteries incidents but to the very fates of the characters. The scene near the end, modeled on 'The Happy Prince,' where the words 'Rewrite this story too' appear, especially stayed with me."
日々、御機嫌
CHIHIRO (Japan, Individual, Web, YouTube, X@chihiroDesignAI) / View in Gallery
A Japanese-style dark fantasy novel set in an age when the curse "Kuro-wazurai" (black affliction) is spreading. Haten, a wanderer who cuts down the corruption; Amane, who takes in suffering and memories; and Shizune, who commands mechanical beasts. Through the three's journey, it depicts the joy of those they saved and the pain of those they could not, and it is serialized on note.
CHIHIRO is one of the creators with the most entries this time: 9 works in total across Independent Film; Character, Manga & Webtoon; Music, MV & Dance; and Advertising, PV & Broadcast. There is also an MV with the same title, 「日々、御機嫌 MV」 (A26M-7), connecting the novel and the music in a single world. SATORUIITA (Japan) left this comment: "The setting in which a curse makes people cover their faces with white fortune masks was very striking. I'm intrigued by the unique world of Japanese-style dark fantasy and by the pasts and feelings the characters carry."
アーティスト by アーティスト ミカの物語／Artist by Artist: The Story of Mika
長尾篤繁 / Nagao, Atsushige (Japan, individual) / Japanese edition, English edition
Set in Los Angeles, this is the story of Mika Kamijo, who moved to the United States at 17, is invited to an art contest, and searches for her own art, free from competition and evaluation. Both a Japanese edition and an English edition are entered. Generative AI was used for the visual development of the characters, while the creator directed the concept, the story and the finishing. By the same creator as 『のこのこのこ』.
Essence of Stone
Rowan Thornton (Canada, individual) / View in the gallery
A world where eight mysterious gates connect Earth with another reality. Among the Striders, who travel through the gates collecting a strange substance called Essence, Mac is drawn toward the world's dividing point when a ninth gate appears. A sci-fi mystery with metaphysical elements.
Manga and magazines
カジュアル面談っていったじゃん！ (You Said It Was a Casual Interview!)
isana isofuta (Japan, Individual, pixiv, X@echofrost52hz) / View in Gallery
A casual interview that was supposed to be relaxed. But the interviewer says nothing at all about jobs, asks about hobbies and how she spends her days off, and finally: "Do you wish to get married?" The link was wrong, and she had ended up in a matchmaking interview for marriage hunting. By the time she noticed the mistake, she was already starting to fall for her. A yuri romantic comedy trilogy that begins with a misunderstanding, complete in 53 pages.
マンガでわかる！X（旧Twitter）運用＆アフィリエイト (Understand It Through Manga! X (formerly Twitter) Management & Affiliate Marketing)
Original work: Shinpapa Supervision: Rikuto Manga: Masanos (Japan・Web・YouTube・X@ZRZPNU8MRFKB91D) / View in Gallery
An e-book that teaches X account management, affiliate marketing and side businesses from scratch through manga. A practical manga created by a team of three: original story, supervision and art.
WAYFARER Edition
Gabriel Silveirado (Brazil, WAYFARER GROUP) / View in the gallery
An English-language digital publication connecting travel, hospitality, culture and design from a Brazilian editorial perspective. Humans hold editorial judgment and responsibility, while AI supports translation, editing and website production. Its explicit statement that "it does not claim that all text and images were generated by AI" shows its integrity as a publication.
Entries from the organizer
This field also includes 8 books and magazine issues by the organizer, AICU Japan: publications that teach how to use AI tools. We state here clearly that these are the organizer's works.
画像・動画生成AI ComfyUI マスターガイド (Image and Video Generative AI: ComfyUI Master Guide) is a guide to ComfyUI published by SB Creative in May 2025.
【キャラクターを創り動かす】画像・動画生成AI スタートガイド (Create and Animate Characters: A Starter Guide to Image and Video Generative AI) is an introductory book centered on character creation, also published by SB Creative, in September 2026.
From AICU Magazine, six issues are entered: Vol.13 "Creative AI and the World", Vol.16 "Nano Banana", Vol.19 "Nano Banana Pro", Vol.21 "AI創作の最前線" (The Frontlines of AI Creation), Vol.24 "OpenAI GPT Image-2 登場" (OpenAI GPT Image-2 Arrives) and Vol.28 "学び直し!?クリエイティブAI" (Relearning!? Creative AI). The covers are by ないとっち, ミュレ, ジュニ, FS and 犬澤某.
Watch with AiCuty on AiCuTV
AiCuTV is a broadcasting club that screens entries automatically, 24 hours a day, as AiCuty's Mei and Marsha introduce them. Here, even books become a "broadcast." 「もういい、一本吸お」, which has video, is shown as video; for the other 26 works, the cover or artwork is shown full screen while the two introduce it by voice. Please enjoy it as a doorway before you read.
Short introductions of 27 works (daily, about 5 minutes)
| Language | JST | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Daily, around 14:30 | Daily, around 05:30 |
| English | Daily, around 4:28 and around 22:28 | around 19:28 (previous day), around 13:28 (same day) |
The 4:28 slot on Wed, Nov 11 (19:28 UTC on the 10th) is off.
Publishing block (about 9 minutes)
We introduce 27 works in a row.
| Date | JST | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, Nov 10 | around 10:54 | around 01:54 |
| Wed, Nov 11 | around 8:39 | around 23:39 on the 10th |
| Thu, Nov 12 | around 19:14 | around 10:14 |
| Fri, Nov 13 | around 10:04 | around 01:04 |
| Sat, Nov 14 | around 1:09 | around 16:09 on the 13th |
Schedule as of November 8, 2026. The program schedule is rebuilt every day at 9:00 JST (0:00 UTC), so times may shift. Please check the AiCuTV screen for the program now playing and the next one.
Open, read, and cast your vote
Voting is one work per field, and free for everyone. The deadline is November 13, 2026 (AoE), which is Sat, Nov 14, 21:00 JST. Opening a book takes a little courage, but many of the works introduced here can be read right away on the web or Kindle. Once you've read them, please send your thoughts to the creators in the gallery. In this field, comments have even sparked exchanges among creators.