Nikon is re-evaluating the winning submission of its prestigious annual Small World in Motion competition following criticism from scientists, claiming the entry was generated using artificial intelligence.

The contest, which has run for 15 years, celebrates videos and photographs captured through powerful microscopes. The disputed first-place entry was submitted by Dr. Ning Xu, a researcher at Tsinghua University in China.

The video purports to show microscopic, hair-like structures known as cilia moving within the airways of a child suffering from a rare respiratory disorder.

While artificial colouring is common and permitted in microscopy, the video quickly drew sharp scepticism from researchers online. Scientists pointed out structural abnormalities, noting that cell features appeared to pop in and out of existence or materialise from nowhere in a manner inconsistent with real cellular biology.

Additionally, some experts spotted potential AI watermarks embedded within the source files, while two former competition judges voiced separate authenticity concerns.

Dr. Xu has defended his submission online, maintaining that he complied with all contest regulations. While he did not dispute using artificial intelligence during the image processing phase, he stated that AI was not deployed to generate the raw experimental movie, the cilia themselves, or their natural motion.

Instead, he argued that AI was only used to visualise and distinguish features within the reconstructed grayscale images.

Nikon confirmed it is carefully re-reviewing the entry and evaluating technical documentation and equipment logs provided by Dr. Xu. Although competition guidelines explicitly prohibit generative AI from producing the core subject matter, contest organisers stated that no rules appear to have been definitively violated yet, with a formal community update expected soon.

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