Nikon Small World in Motion winner disqualified over AI usage

Nikon has disqualified the original winner of its 2026 Small World in Motion video competition, Ning Xu, following an investigation into the use of artificial intelligence. Xu’s entry, which depicted cilia in a child's airway, faced scrutiny after researchers identified structural abnormalities and potential AI watermarks in the source files. While Xu admitted to using AI for feature visualization, he denied using it to generate the biological motion itself. Nikon subsequently stripped Xu of the title, promoting Nguyen Nam Nhat of Vietnam to first place for his video of a roundworm and a single-celled organism. The competition, which highlights the beauty of microscopic life, has seen a ripple effect in its rankings, with other finalists moving up in the standings. This incident underscores the growing challenges in verifying the authenticity of scientific imagery as AI-assisted tools become more prevalent in research and microscopy.