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Nikon disqualifies prize-winning scientific video after it is revealed to be AI-generated
Overview
Nikon has disqualified the winner of its Small World In Motion competition after scientists raised concerns that the winning entry was fake. The video, submitted by Dr Ning Xu from Tsinghua University in China, purported to show cilia in the airway of a child with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). Nikon confirmed that the entry breached its rules regarding generative AI and announced plans to review the contest's rules and procedures.
Key points
- Nikon disqualified the winning video of its Small World In Motion contest following backlash from scientists.
- The winning entry, created by Dr Ning Xu, showed microscopic hair-like structures called cilia from a child with PCD.
- Scientists and former judges complained that the video looked fabricated and did not resemble actual PCD cells.
- Dr Xu acknowledged using AI but believed he was acting within the competition rules.
- Nikon stated it will review its rules and evaluation procedures for the annual microscopic imaging contest.