Science & Tech · AI · 1 day ago
Nikon disqualifies AI-assisted microscope video and names a new winner
Nikon has disqualified a winning video from its Small World In Motion microscope imaging contest because it used generative AI.
The video, submitted by researcher Ning Xu, appeared to show hair-like cilia moving in the airway of a child with primary ciliary dyskinesia, a rare respiratory condition.
Scientists questioned whether the structures shown were biologically accurate, and Xu acknowledged using AI in post-processing.
Nikon said the video did not meet the contest rules, while stressing that its decision was about eligibility, not Xu’s professional reputation or intent.
The video has been removed from the winners’ list, and Vietnamese researcher Nguyen Nam Nhat has been named the new first-place winner for a video of a roundworm and a single-celled organism.
Nikon says it will review the rules and evaluation procedures for future contests.
The dispute matters because researchers and patients rely on scientific images to represent evidence accurately.
Nikon disqualified Ning Xu’s first-place video in its Small World in Motion competition, saying it violated rules on generative AI.
The video showed cilia in an airway sample associated with primary ciliary dyskinesia, a rare genetic disease.
Microscopy experts questioned whether structures in the video were biologically accurate, and scientists called for the entry to be examined.
Xu acknowledged using AI-assisted post-processing, but said he believed he had acted within the rules.
Nikon awarded first place to Vietnamese researcher Nguyen Nam Nhat for a video of a roundworm and a single-celled organism called Dileptus.
Nikon said it would review the contest’s rules and evaluation procedures for future entries.
- Who
- Nikon; Ning Xu, whose entry was disqualified; and Nguyen Nam Nhat, who was named the new winner.
- What
- Nikon disqualified a winning microscope video after finding it did not comply with rules on generative AI.
- When
- October 2026; the contest’s updated rankings were reported on October 9.
- Where
- Nikon’s international Small World in Motion competition.
- Why
- Nikon said the video violated the competition rules regarding generative AI.
Ning Xu
Nikon and critics of the video
Use of AI
Ning Xu
Xu acknowledged using AI-assisted post-processing and said he believed he had acted within the rules.
Nikon and critics of the video
Nikon determined that the video did not comply with the contest’s rules regarding generative AI.
Scientific accuracy
Ning Xu
Xu said the video originated with actual research footage, which he processed using AI.
Nikon and critics of the video
Scientists questioned whether structures shown in the video were biologically accurate; Robert Hirst said they looked nothing like those from patients with PCD.
did not comply with the competition rules regarding generative AI
An unsupervised neural-network method was subsequently used for AI-assisted post-processing to distinguish and visualize features in the reconstructed grayscale images from the super-resolution optical imaging.
I have been diagnosing PCD for 20 years by examining their cilia waveform, length, cell size and shape
This controversy has impacted a lot of patients, scientists, doctors and PCD support networks around the world,
The ABC reported that the competition winners were announced.
Microscopy experts questioned the accuracy of Xu’s video, and scientists called for the winning work to be examined.
Nikon disqualified Xu’s entry and updated the rankings, naming Nguyen Nam Nhat the new first-place winner.
Nikon said it would revisit the contest’s rules and evaluation procedures.
- Competition
- Nikon Small World in Motion
- Disqualified entrant
- Ning Xu
- New first-place winner
- Nguyen Nam Nhat of Vietnam
- Subject of the replacement video
- A roundworm encountering a single-celled organism called Dileptus
- Prize value
- US$3,000, according to ABC Australia
Sources
Winner of scientific imagery contest was AI generated
Contest-Winning Microscope Video Thrown Out for Using Generative AI
Big Controversy Upends a Contest About Microscopic Videos
Nikon microscopic video competition winner disqualified for using generative AI
Prize-winning image which sparked backlash was AI-generated, Nikon rules
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