Nikon is taking another look at the winning entry in its Small World in Motion competition after scientists raised questions about possible artificial intelligence use in a microscopy video submitted by researcher Dr. Ning Xu.
The controversy centers on apparent visual inconsistencies in the footage and whether AI-assisted processing crossed the competition’s rules, which prohibit AI-generated videos.
Scientists Question Winning Microscopy Video
The Nikon Small World in Motion competition highlights the beauty, complexity and scientific value of subjects captured through microscopic imaging. Entries often document biological processes that are difficult or impossible to observe with the naked eye.
Dr. Xu was announced as the competition’s winner last month. His video is intended to show the movement of cilia, tiny hair-like structures found along parts of the respiratory system.
According to Dr. Xu, the tissue featured in the video came from a child with primary ciliary dyskinesia, a rare genetic disorder that can cause chronic infections affecting the lungs, sinuses and ears.
Following the announcement, however, scientists began identifying what they described as unusual visual features in the footage.
“There are many serious problems with this video,” Edward Phelps, an associate professor at Florida University, wrote on LinkedIn.
Phelps said “purple structures pop in and out of existence” and that “green cilia also appear from nowhere and do not match the known size.”
Nikon Says It Is Reviewing Supporting Materials
As scrutiny increased, Nikon Small World updated a LinkedIn post that had originally celebrated Dr. Xu’s winning entry.
“Regarding questions raised about this year’s Small World In Motion winning video, Nikon is carefully re-reviewing the information provided during the initial vetting, along with additional supporting materials from the entrant,” the organization said.
Nikon added that Dr. Xu is “respectfully complying and has provided detailed technical documentation outlining the microscopy equipment, imaging methods, and processing techniques used to create the source video.”
The review could determine whether the processing techniques used for the entry complied with the competition’s rules.
Google SynthID Finding Adds to AI Questions
Further questions emerged after Ian Donovan, an MD/PhD student at UT Southwestern Medical Center, said he analyzed the footage using Google Gemini.
According to Donovan, the analysis detected an invisible Google SynthID watermark, which can be used to identify content created or modified using certain Google AI tools. The reported finding prompted additional scrutiny over whether portions of the winning video were generated or processed using artificial intelligence.
Dr. Xu, an optical engineering researcher at the National University of Singapore, reportedly addressed the allegations in comments on LinkedIn.
According to Nature, Dr. Xu acknowledged using an AI model during post-processing but denied violating the competition’s rules. Nikon Small World’s rules state that “AI-generated videos are not permitted.”
“It was applied afterwards to the reconstructed grayscale data to distinguish and color structures with similar morphology,” Dr. Xu wrote.
The distinction between using AI as a post-processing tool and generating visual material with AI has become central to the dispute.
Researchers Call for RAW Footage
As of October 1, Dr. Xu’s responses were no longer visible on the LinkedIn discussion, and his LinkedIn profile appeared to have been deleted.
The controversy has also sparked broader concerns among researchers about the use of synthetic imagery in scientific photography and microscopy competitions.
“If it’s AI, which is seeming likely, there is something profoundly cynical and sad about using synthetic images to cheat in a contest that is supposed to be about how beautiful and cool biology is,” Sarah Goetz wrote in a Bluesky post discussing the dispute.
Scientists commenting on the case have said one way to address the questions would be for Dr. Xu to release the original RAW grayscale footage. That material could provide researchers and contest organizers with additional evidence about how the final video was produced and processed.
Nikon Review Could Clarify Competition Rules
The dispute highlights the growing challenge that photography, scientific imaging and creative competitions face as AI-powered editing tools become increasingly sophisticated.
Nikon’s renewed examination of the winning entry is expected to focus on the original microscopy data, the processing workflow and the supporting technical documentation provided by Dr. Xu.
For now, the winning video remains under scrutiny as Nikon considers whether the techniques used to create the final footage complied with the Small World in Motion competition’s restrictions on AI-generated material.
Chris Skeldon is a contributor to Brytfmonline.com, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. He focuses on delivering clear, accurate, and reader-friendly reporting that helps audiences stay informed about current events and emerging developments. With an emphasis on useful information and balanced storytelling, Chris aims to provide timely coverage of issues and stories that matter most to readers.