In brief
Nikon’s annual Small World In Motion contest saw its 2026 winner—a microscopic video by Dr Ning Xu—come under fire when peers suggested the clip was AI‑enhanced. Xu denies that generative AI was used to produce the footage, only to help visualise data, and has supplied extra technical docs. Judges and scientists cite abnormal shapes and popping imagery that violate contest rules. Nikon says no rules were broken but will update after a full probe. The debate highlights the growing challenge of distinguishing authentic science imaging from AI‑edits.
A tiny, colourful clip that won Nikon’s prestigious Small World In Motion competition is now being re‑examined after other scientists claim it may have been altered with AI.
The video, from Chinese researcher Dr Ning Xu, supposedly shows microscopic cilia beating inside a child’s airway. But several judges and fellow scientists say the shapes look too big and pop in and out of existence, raising red flags.
Xu says he only used AI to help visualise the data “in a permissible way”, not to generate the image, and has sent additional technical docs to Nikon.
Nikon says no rules were broken, but is still probing the file and will make an update soon. The community is split, with some looking to protect the contest’s integrity and others warning the virus between science and art can blur reality.
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