The Tokyo Tower of Sympathy is set in a futuristic version of Japan, where AI is a central part of everyday life.
It centres around an architect who designs a comfortable high-rise prison, but finds herself struggling in a society that seems excessively sympathetic to criminals.
“The work is flawless and it’s difficult to find any faults,” said Shuichi Yoshida, a member of the judging committee, according to The Times.
“It is highly entertaining and interesting work that prompts debate about how to consider it.”
AI has proved highly controversial among writers and the creative industries, with critics saying it will diminish original work in favour of cheap copy recycled by algorithms.
A months-long strike in the US by the Writers Guild of America, which caused TV and film production to grind to a halt, was partially caused by concerns around the technology.
Unions claimed that studios will use AI to create early drafts of scripts, with screenwriters then hired for a lower rate to bring them up to standard.
Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses, is among a number of writers who have criticised the creative power of AI.
When the programme was asked to mimic his writing style, he is reported to have said the results were “pure garbage”.
“Anyone who has ever read 300 words of mine would immediately recognise that could not possibly be by me,” he said.
