Nikon Instruments disqualified the first-place video in its Small World in Motion competition after determining it did not comply with rules prohibiting AI-generated content.
Nikon Instruments has disqualified the winning entry of its Small World in Motion microscopy competition. The decision, announced on 9 October, follows a review that determined the video did not comply with competition rules. According to the competition website, AI-generated videos are not permitted.
The video, which showed the movement of cilia in the lungs, was submitted by Ning Xu, an optical engineer at the National University of Singapore. It was awarded first place on 15 September. In the days following the award, scientists noted on the social-media platform LinkedIn that some features in the video seemed biologically implausible.
Xu responded on LinkedIn, stating that his team had used an AI model in post-processing to enhance the visual presentation of regions below the cilia “without making anatomical claims about what those rendered features represent.” These posts have since been taken down.
Nikon Instruments stated that after re-evaluating the video and supporting materials, and consulting the judging panel, it determined the entry was ineligible. “This decision is based solely on the submitted video’s eligibility under the rules outlined for this competition. It should not be interpreted as a judgment of the entrant’s professional reputation, scientific contributions, or intent,” the company said in a statement.
Xu did not respond to Nature’s request for comment regarding the disqualification. A spokesperson for the National University of Singapore stated that Ning Xu participated in the competition before he joined the university and that the content of his submission is unrelated to his work there.
The incident has prompted discussions about the use of artificial intelligence in scientific imagery. The competition’s rules explicitly prohibit AI-generated videos, highlighting the specific constraints placed on visual data in this context.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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