🛡 Nikon Disqualifies Small World in Motion 2026 Winner Over AI
Ning Xu's video from Tsinghua University about cilia in the airways of a child with the rare disease PCD violated generative AI rules. The trigger was complaints from scientists and former judges on LinkedIn: the cells "don't look like PCD patient cells at all" (Robert Hirst, University of Leicester). Xu admitted only to AI visualization of details, denying animation generation.
🌍 Nikon promised to review Small World's rules and evaluation procedures — a rare case of a winner being disqualified for generative AI.
👤 Subject-matter experts, not auto-detectors, caught the forgery: participants should keep original frames and clarify AI rules. Nguyen Nam Nhat from Vietnam (DIC, 40x) took the top spot.
Source 1: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/10/winning-nikon-small-world-in-motion-video-disqualified-for-ai-use/ Source 2: https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/news/nikon-small-world-in-motion-video-statement