Nikon Re-Evaluates Small World In Motion Contest Winner After AI Usage Allegations

For 15 years, Nikon's Small World In Motion contest has been a benchmark for microscopic motion capture. However, its reputation is under scrutiny following allegations that a recent winner was created using artificial intelligence. Dr.

Ning Xu, a researcher at Tsinghua University in China, submitted a video showing cilia in a child's airways, a rare disease. The footage has sparked debate among scientists, with some questioning the authenticity of the winning entry.

Dr. Xu denied using AI to generate the video, stating that he used AI "to distinguish and visualize features in the reconstructed grayscale images." However, other scientists have raised concerns about the video's authenticity, citing unusual shapes and movements that don't fit with normal cell structures or behaviors.

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At Florida University, Associate Professor Edward Phelps has noted a peculiar phenomenon in certain structures. There, they seem to materialize and then disappear. PhD student Ian Donovan from UT Southwestern Medical Centre has also observed a distinctive watermark in the source image.

Suggesting it was created using artificial intelligence.

Nikon has stated that Dr. Xu is "respectfully complying" with its investigation and has provided additional technical documents. The company has not yet confirmed whether the winning video was altered with AI, but said there would be an update soon.

The Small World In Motion contest has been running annually for 15 years. With the goal of showing the best scientific photography and video. The contest has a specific set of rules, including a ban on using generative AI to produce images.

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Nikon has not yet announced any further actions, but has stated that it will provide an update soon. The investigation is ongoing, and it is unclear what the outcome will be.

Dr. Patrick Hickey, who came fifth in the 2026 Small World contest, shared the recognition the award represents means more than the $3,000 prize itself. "If you spend a lot of time in a dark room looking down a microscope, it's really nice to be able to show people and to show the public," he said.

"There's an interesting fusion between science and art, and a lot of the images that scientists are making have some very abstract and artistic qualities to them," he added.