Why Nikon Disqualified Its Small World Video Winner

Nikon says the original winning entry broke its generative AI rules, but the evidence and future judging process are not fully public.

TV, Film & CultureOctober 10, 20263 min readHow Sureno writes this

The short version

Nikon disqualified the original first-place entry after concluding it did not comply with the contest rules on generative AI. ¹²
The original entry was by Ning Xu and showed cilia in a child’s airway; Xu said AI helped distinguish and display features in reconstructed grayscale images, but denied using it to create the experimental movie or the cilia’s motion. ¹²
Nikon named Nguyen Nam Nhat of Vietnam the new winner for a video showing a roundworm and a single-celled organism called Dileptus. ¹
Reports describe concerns about unusual structures, features appearing and disappearing, and apparent AI watermarks in source files, but the sources do not provide Nikon’s full investigation findings or a detailed detection method. ¹

Why was the Nikon video winner disqualified?

Nikon said the original first-place video did not comply with its competition rules on generative AI, and the company disqualified the entry after investigating it. The entrant was Ning Xu, whose video was presented as showing tiny, hair-like cilia moving in the airway of a child with a rare respiratory disorder. ¹²

The available reports do not reproduce Nikon’s full decision or explain precisely which part of the entry violated the rules. Nikon said it was reviewing the video after questions about its authenticity had been raised. ¹²

What did the original entrant say about using AI?

Xu said AI was used in post-processing to help distinguish and visualize features in reconstructed grayscale images. He denied using AI to generate the experimental movie, the cilia, or their movement. ¹²

That distinction matters because AI can be used at different stages of image work. The reports do not provide enough technical detail to determine exactly how the method changed the submitted video, or how Nikon interpreted the rules in this case.

How can judges tell AI-generated footage from microscope footage?

The reports describe warning signs raised by researchers, not a complete or independently verified test. They include structural irregularities, biological features that seemed to appear and disappear in ways observers considered implausible, and marks in source files that appeared to be AI watermarks. ¹

These observations may prompt a closer review, but the sources do not establish that any one visual sign proves an image was generated by AI. They also do not explain Nikon’s full verification process. The reports therefore cannot support a claim that judges can reliably identify AI-made footage from appearance alone.

Who is the new Nikon Small World in Motion winner?

Nikon named Nguyen Nam Nhat of Vietnam as the new winner. His video shows a tiny roundworm alongside Dileptus, a single-celled organism. ¹

The Small World in Motion contest focuses on microscope video. It is a spinoff of Nikon’s Small World photomicrography contest, which recognizes still images made through a light microscope. ¹

What happens to Nikon’s AI rules now?

Nikon said it was revisiting its competition rules after the disqualification. ² The available reporting does not say what wording will change, when revised rules will take effect, or what kinds of AI-assisted processing will be allowed.

For viewers, the central point is that the contest treated the submitted work as non-compliant, while important details about the investigation remain unavailable in the reports. The rules Nikon publishes and any further explanation from the company would clarify how future entries are to be judged.

What we don't know yet

Which exact rule or part of the submission led Nikon to find the entry non-compliant.
What technical checks Nikon used and whether it independently confirmed the reported visual and file-based warning signs.
How Nikon will revise its rules and distinguish permitted image processing from disallowed generative AI use.

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Questions people ask

Who won the Nikon Small World in Motion contest after the disqualification?

Nikon named Nguyen Nam Nhat of Vietnam the new winner. His video shows a roundworm and the single-celled organism Dileptus. ¹

What did Ning Xu’s Nikon contest video show?

The video was presented as showing cilia, tiny hair-like structures, moving in the airway of a child with a rare respiratory disorder. ¹²

Did Ning Xu say he used AI to make the microscope video?

Xu said AI helped distinguish and visualize features in reconstructed grayscale images. He denied using it to generate the experimental movie, the cilia, or their movement. ¹

What signs made researchers question the video?

The reporting describes concerns about structural irregularities and features that seemed to appear and disappear in ways observers considered unlike real cell biology. It also reports that some people noticed what looked like AI watermarks in source files. ¹

Can viewers tell if microscope footage was made with AI?

The reports list visual and file-based concerns but do not describe a definitive test. They also do not publish Nikon’s full investigation method, so the available information cannot show that viewers or judges can identify AI use from appearance alone. ¹²

Sources

AI disqualification yields new Nikon Small World in Motion winner — Ars Technica, 2026-10-09
Nikon microscopic video competition winner disqualified for using generative AI — The Verge, 2026-10-09