Big controversy upends a contest about microscopic videos
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The competition rankings have been updated, making microbiologist Nguyen Nam Nhat the new first-place winner.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM NIKON SMALL WORLD
Stella Raine Chu
- Nikon rescinded the Small World in Motion first prize on Oct 9 after finding the winning microscopy video broke its rule banning generative AI.
- The contest, which has run since 1975, updated its rankings and named Vietnam-based microbiologist Nguyen Nam Nhat as the new winner.
- The video by Ning Xu, a Singapore optical engineer, faced online doubts over AI use and impossible details, raising calls for clearer disclosure in scientific imaging.
AI generated
After weeks of controversy, Nikon announced on Oct 9 that it had rescinded the first-place award it gave in its annual Small World in Motion contest after determining the winning video broke its rule against generative artificial intelligence use in submissions.
The Nikon Small World in Motion is an annual video contest that awards the best footage captured through the lens of a microscope. The competition began in 1975, originally accepting only photo submissions, and a separate contest was created for videos in 2011.