Nikon has removed the original first-place video from its Small World in Motion contest after concluding that it did not comply with the competition’s rules on generative AI. The decision followed online questions about whether the microscopic footage showed what it claimed to show.
The video, submitted by Dr. Ning Xu, was described as showing cilia moving in the airway of a child with the respiratory condition PCD. Nikon has since updated the rankings, placing a video by Nguyen Nam Nhat in first place.
How the winning entry came under scrutiny
Nikon said it was reviewing the video after skepticism about its authenticity emerged online. That review ended with the company deciding that the entry did not meet its rules regarding generative AI.
Dr. Xu acknowledged using AI in a LinkedIn comment. He described an unsupervised neural-network method used for AI-assisted post-processing to distinguish and visualize features in reconstructed grayscale images from super-resolution optical imaging.
The explanation puts the use of AI in the processing of the images, while Nikon’s decision concerns whether that use complied with the contest rules. The source account does not specify which processing steps the rules allowed or how the company evaluated them.
The contest ranking has changed
Following the disqualification, Dr. Xu’s video appears to have been removed from Nikon’s website. The updated contest rankings show Nguyen Nam Nhat’s video in first place.
The change means the original winning entry no longer holds the top position. Nikon has not, in the information reported here, provided further detail about how the newly ranked video was assessed or what criteria determined the revised result.
Nikon plans to review its procedures
Nikon says it plans to revisit the rules and evaluation procedures for future competition entries. That signals a review of how the contest addresses generative AI, although the company has not described specific changes.
Clear rules matter in a competition built around images and videos that viewers may take as records of microscopic subjects. When AI-assisted processing is involved, entrants and judges need to understand what kinds of work are permitted and how those methods should be considered. The reported statement does not set out a new policy, so the scope of any future revision remains unknown.
Disqualification is not a verdict on the entrant
Nikon said its decision should not be interpreted as a judgment of Dr. Xu’s professional reputation, scientific contributions, or intent. The company framed the action as a response to compliance with competition rules.
That distinction separates the status of a contest entry from broader judgments about the person who submitted it. For now, the concrete outcomes are the video’s disqualification, the revised first-place ranking, and Nikon’s stated plan to review its rules and evaluation procedures.