Nikon Disqualifies Small World in Motion Winner Over AI

Nikon has disqualified Dr. Ning Xu as the winner of its 2026 Small World in Motion competition. The decision followed a thorough re-evaluation of his video, which the company determined broke its clear rule prohibiting AI-generated content.

A Nikon spokesperson stated the ruling was based solely on eligibility. "This decision is based solely on the submitted video’s eligibility under the rules outlined for this competition," they said. "It should not be interpreted as a judgment of the entrant’s professional reputation, scientific contributions, or intent." The annual contest, which has run for 15 years, celebrates the beauty and complexity of the microscopic world and offers researchers a platform to show their work.

Re-evaluation and ruling

The disqualification of Dr. Ning Xu came after Nikon re-reviewed his winning video. Concerns had been raised by the scientific community. The company consulted with members of its judging panel during this process.

Nikon emphasized this was a rules enforcement, not an assessment of Dr. Xu's career. The company acknowledged the evolving landscape of imaging technology. Advances in imaging and artificial intelligence continue to evolve rapidly, creating new challenges for organizations across many fields, a spokesperson noted. This event has shown the need for Nikon Small World and Nikon Small World in Motion to revisit rules and evaluation procedures for future competition entries. The competition rankings have been updated on Nikon's website.

Winning video details

The original winning video by Dr. Ning Xu purported to show abnormal cilia movement. Cilia are hair-like structures that line part of the lungs. The entry was described as showing this activity in a child with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a rare genetic disorder that causes chronic infections.

Dr. Xu, an optical engineering researcher, denied creating the core footage with AI. AI was not used to generate the experimental movie, the cilia, or their motion, he said. He maintained that AI was used only to distinguish and color structures in grayscale images after capture. He cooperated with Nikon's investigation.

New winner and video

Following the disqualification, Nguyen Nam Nhat is now the official first-place winner. He is affiliated with Nguyen Nam OME in Chu Se, Gia Lai, Vietnam. His winning video captures a tiny roundworm and a single-celled organism called a Dileptus.

The video was captured using a specific microscopy technique called differential interference contrast at 40x magnification. A key point is that no AI coloring was used in the production of this winning entry.

Community and expert response

Scientists raised significant concerns about the biological accuracy of the original video. Edward Phelps, a bioengineering researcher at the University of Florida, questioned the plausibility of structures shown. He pointed out that purple structures seemed to pop in and out of existence. He also noted that green cilia appeared from nowhere and did not match known sizes.

Dr. Robert Hirst, lead scientist for an NHS centre for PCD diagnosis, was among the first to flag the issue. He stated he knew immediately the video was fabricated. Having spent two decades diagnosing the condition, he said the cells and cilia in the video looked nothing like those from actual PCD patients. Other experts suggested the matter could have been clarified if Dr. Xu had shared the original RAW grayscale video.

Online, an MD/PhD student claimed to have detected an AI watermark in the video using a commercial tool. Dr. Xu later acknowledged using AI tools in a LinkedIn comment, stating he believed he had worked within the competition's boundaries. Nikon confirmed it is now reviewing the rules and procedures for its annual contests.