Nikon Reviews Microscopy Contest Winner After AI Concerns

Nikon is reviewing the first-place entry in its Small World in Motion microscopy competition after scientists questioned whether artificial intelligence altered the video in ways that could violate contest rules. The company has not announced a final conclusion or said whether the award will change. The winning video, submitted by Ning Xu, shows hairlike cilia moving in the airways of a child with primary ciliary dyskinesia, a rare disorder. Xu, who was a researcher at Tsinghua University when he submitted the entry, says AI did not generate the experimental footage, the cilia or their motion. He says it was used after capture to distinguish and visualize features in reconstructed grayscale images. Researchers have questioned whether some structures and movements in the video are consistent with expected cell behavior. Edward Phelps, an associate professor at the University of Florida, said some features appeared to pop in and out of existence. Two former competition judges also raised concerns about whether the video accurately reflects the original microscopy data, according to reports of their comments.