Key facts
- Nikon's Small World In Motion contest is re-evaluating its winning entry due to concerns it was created with AI.
- The winning entry is a short video by Dr. Ning Xu showing cilia moving inside a child's airways.
- Dr. Ning Xu denies using AI to generate the experimental movie, cilia, or their motion.
- Xu admits using AI to distinguish and visualize features in reconstructed grayscale images.
- Other scientists have pointed to unusual shapes, movements, and a potential AI watermark in the video.
- Nikon stated it does not currently see any rule violations but is investigating further.
Nikon's annual Small World In Motion photography competition is re-evaluating its winning entry after scientists raised concerns that the short video may have been generated using artificial intelligence. The contest, which accepts photos and videos taken with powerful microscopes, has been running for 15 years.
The winning submission by Dr. Ning Xu, a researcher at Tsinghua University in China, purports to show footage of tiny, hair-like structures called cilia moving inside the airways of a child with a rare disease. Xu has denied using AI to create the experimental movie, the cilia, or their motion, but acknowledged its use in visualizing features within reconstructed grayscale images.
However, other scientists have voiced skepticism. Edward Phelps, an associate professor at Florida University, observed that some structures in the video "pop in and out of existence" and that the cilia "appear from nowhere." Additionally, PhD student Ian Donovan from UT Southwestern Medical Center noted what appeared to be a distinctive watermark indicating AI generation on the source image.
Two former competition judges also expressed concerns about the image's authenticity. Nikon stated that Dr. Xu is "respectfully complying" with their investigation and has provided additional technical documents. The company added, "At this time, we don't see that any rules were violated."
Dr. Patrick Hickey, a past winner of the contest, emphasized the prestige of the award, noting that the recognition is more significant than the $3,000 prize. He stated that it would be unfair to other entrants if the winning video was found to be unfairly altered by AI, as the contest rules prohibit the use of generative AI.