Nikon has stripped Dr. Ning Xu of Tsinghua University of his first-place title in the 2026 Small World in Motion microscopy video competition. The decision follows a review confirming that the winning entry violated the contest's specific regulations regarding the use of generative AI.
The disqualified video claimed to use super-resolution microscopy to depict abnormal cilia movement in a patient with primary ciliary dyskinesia. Experts in the field raised concerns, noting that the structures in the video did not align with biological reality, citing inconsistent appearances and sizes of the depicted elements.
Dr. Xu admitted to employing AI tools to enhance and visualize features from original grayscale microscopy images, though he denied using AI to generate the cilia structures or their movement themselves. Nikon maintained that the methodology breached the competition's established guidelines.
Following the disqualification, the competition rankings were adjusted. Nguyen Nam Nhat from Vietnam, who originally held second place with a video documenting the interaction between a nematode and a single-celled organism, has been elevated to the first-place position.
