From PCMAG · Will McCurdy · · 1m 10s
Science Award Winner Stripped For AI Use
Nikon strips top science photography prize after AI detection.
In brief
Nikon strips top science photography prize after AI detection. Dr. Ning Xu loses Nikon Small World in Motion award after admitting AI use in video post-processing. Originally reported by PCMAG.
Nikon Small World Prize
Dr. Ning Xu from Tsinghua University wins Nikon's 16th annual Small World in Motion contest for microscopic video of cilia in a child with primary ciliary dyskinesia.
AI Detection Concerns
Multiple scientists and past judges reported structural inaccuracies and AI watermarks like SynthID in Xu's video.
Xu Admits AI Use
Dr. Xu admitted using AI to distinguish and visualize features in reconstructed grayscale images during post-processing.
Nikon Updates Rules
Nikon plans to revisit rules and evaluation procedures for future competition entries after the incident.
New Prize Winner
Nguyen Nam Nhat of Vietnam wins the top prize with a video of a tiny roundworm and single-celled organism.
Past AI Controversies
Granta literary magazine admitted in May 2026 that true authorship of a Commonwealth prize-winning story might be unknown due to AI accusations.
What it means
Dr. Ning Xu loses Nikon Small World in Motion award after admitting AI use in video post-processing.
