Nikon disqualifies AI-enhanced microscopy video, crowning new winner
Nikon has disqualified the original winner of its 2026 Small World in Motion contest after determining that Dr. Ning Xu’s video of cilia in a child’s airway used generative AI for post-processing, violating competition rules. Nguyen Nam Nhat of Vietnam has been named the new winner for a video of a roundworm and a single-celled organism. Nikon stated it will revise its rules and evaluation procedures for future entries to address the rapid evolution of imaging and AI technologies.