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Nikon Strips Microscopy Contest Winner's Title Over Undisclosed AI Use
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In brief
Nikon has disqualified Dr Ning Xu's video of beating airway cilia from its 2026 Small World in Motion competition after ruling it broke the contest's rules on generative artificial intelligence. The title and prize now go to Vietnam's Nguyen Nam Nhat, whose roundworm video had placed second, reopening debate about how AI tools should be disclosed in scientific-imaging competitions.
Nikon has disqualified the video that won its 2026 Small World in Motion microscopy competition after determining it breached the contest's rules on generative artificial intelligence, the company said in a statement posted on the Nikon Small World website. The decision strips Dr Ning Xu of the top prize, reportedly worth £2,250 according to UNILAD Tech, and hands the title to Vietnamese entrant Nguyen Nam Nhat, whose submission had originally placed second.
What the winning video showed
Xu's entry was announced as the competition's winner, according to Amateur Photographer. It consisted of digital time-lapse photographs and video, taken through a microscope, of hair-like structures called cilia. Gizmodo and UNILAD Tech reported the footage depicted the abnormal beating of airway cilia from a child with primary ciliary dyskinesia, a rare genetic disorder. Gizmodo described Xu as an optical researcher at the National University of Singapore, while TechDigest and UNILAD Tech identified him as a researcher at Tsinghua University in China; the two accounts of his affiliation differ.
Why scientists questioned the footage
Soon after the win was announced, scientists examining the video online raised doubts about whether its motion reflected real biology, UNILAD Tech reported. Florida university associate professor Edward Phelps, cited by UNILAD Tech, said the footage showed nuclei behaving oddly, scaling that 'does not occur in biology', and cilia that 'appear from nowhere and do not match the known size'. Former contest judge Andrew Moore, also cited by UNILAD Tech, separately said the footage 'pointed toward incompatible interpretations' and compared the result to old photographs restored with AI. Gizmodo reported that the submission also contained red, blue and purple structures that experts said do not exist in the underlying biology, and that source files bore an AI-identifying SynthID watermark.
On 1 October, Nikon said on LinkedIn, as reported by TechDigest and UNILAD Tech, that it was 'carefully re-reviewing the information provided during the initial vetting' and that, at that point, 'we don't see that any rules were violated.'
Nikon's final ruling
On 9 October, following further review, Nikon reversed course. In its official statement, the company said that 'after thoroughly re-evaluating the video and supporting materials and consulting with members of our judging panel,' it had determined the winning video 'did not comply with the competition rules regarding generative AI.' Nikon added that the decision 'should not be interpreted as a judgment of the entrant's professional reputation, scientific contributions, or intent,' and said it would revisit its rules and evaluation procedures for future competitions.
TechDigest reported that Nikon's guidelines allow artificial colouring of microscopy images but explicitly prohibit generative AI from producing the 'core subject matter' of an entry, including the motion being depicted.
AI was not used to generate the experimental movie, the cilia, or their motion.
Xu has said he used an AI tool after filming to, in his words as reported by UNILAD Tech, 'distinguish and visualise features' in reconstructed greyscale images. Amateur Photographer reported he argued the AI was used 'mainly to improve the visual presentation, rather than provide an anatomical reconstruction' and maintained his entry stayed within the rules. Gizmodo reported he did not respond to its request for further comment.
The new winner and the wider debate
| Status | Entrant | Subject of entry | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original winner (disqualified) | Dr Ning Xu | Beating airway cilia from a child with primary ciliary dyskinesia | Title removed 9 Oct 2026 for breaching AI rules, per Nikon's statement |
| New official winner | Nguyen Nam Nhat (Vietnam) | A roundworm and single-celled Dileptus, filmed with Differential Interference Contrast microscopy at 40x magnification | Elevated from second place, per Nikon Small World |
Nguyen Nam Nhat's video is now listed as the 2026 Small World in Motion winner on the Nikon Small World website. Tech AI Magazine said the episode 'highlights broader ethical concerns about AI use in scientific competitions and the challenges of verifying submissions in an era of advanced digital tools.'
Questions
- Why was the Nikon Small World in Motion winner disqualified?
- Nikon said that after re-evaluating the video and consulting its judging panel, it determined the entry 'did not comply with the competition rules regarding generative AI,' according to the company's official statement.
- Who is the new winner of the 2026 competition?
- Nguyen Nam Nhat of Vietnam is now the official winner, with a video of a roundworm and a single-celled Dileptus filmed using Differential Interference Contrast microscopy at 40x magnification; the entry had originally placed second, per Nikon Small World.
- What did the disqualified photographer say in his defence?
- Dr Ning Xu said, as quoted by UNILAD Tech, that AI 'was not used to generate the experimental movie, the cilia, or their motion,' and that he used AI afterward only to 'distinguish and visualise features' in reconstructed images.
- What evidence pointed to AI involvement?
- Scientists cited by UNILAD Tech said the footage showed biologically implausible scaling and structures 'appearing from nowhere,' and Gizmodo reported that source files carried an AI-identifying SynthID watermark.
- Did Nikon accuse the photographer of personal wrongdoing?
- No. Nikon's statement said the ruling 'should not be interpreted as a judgment of the entrant's professional reputation, scientific contributions, or intent,' and was based solely on the entry's eligibility under contest rules.
Sources
- Nikon Small World — official statement on the Small World in Motion video decision
- Gizmodo — Contest-Winning Microscope Video Thrown Out for Using Generative AI
- UNILAD Tech — Nikon launches emergency investigation after £2,250 photo contest winner makes scandalous admission
- Tech Digest — Nikon re-evaluating Small World winner following AI allegations
- Amateur Photographer — Fake news: Nikon disqualifies Small World in Motion competition winner over controversial AI use
- Tech AI Magazine — Nikon Disqualifies Small World in Motion Winner for AI Use
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