Nikon revokes competition prize due to generative AI use

Nikon has revoked the first-place prize in its annual Small World in Motion video competition after determining that the winner, Ning Xu, used generative AI in violation of competition rules. The decision followed investigations and criticism from the scientific community, including experts who noted that biological structures in the video did not behave as expected.

Nikon stated that the disqualification was based solely on eligibility rules and was not a judgment of the entrant’s professional reputation or intent. The company announced it would revisit its evaluation procedures for future competitions.

The first prize has been reassigned to Vietnamese researcher Nguyen Nam Nhat, whose winning video features a roundworm and a single-celled Dileptus microorganism.