Nikon Small World in Motion has taken first place away from its 2026 winning video after Nikon decided the clip broke the contest's rule against generative AI. The microscope video competition has re-ranked its top five, and the winners list now opens with a different entry.
After re-evaluating the video and its supporting materials and consulting members of its judging panel, Nikon concluded that the entry did not comply with the competition's generative AI rules. The company limited the ruling to eligibility. It said the decision should not be read as a judgment of the entrant's professional reputation, scientific contributions or intent, and it did not name the entrant.
The standard is spelled out in the official rules for Nikon Small World in Motion: AI-generated videos are not permitted, and the sponsor reserves the right to request the original video for verification. Entries must be shot by the entrant through a light microscope, run no longer than 60 seconds, and carry no sound or graphics. The rules page now posted covers the entry period that opened on July 24, 2026, so its wording may differ from what 2026 entrants agreed to.
The new first-place video comes from Nguyen Nam Nhat of Chu Se, Gia Lai, Vietnam, and shows a roundworm and a single-celled Dileptus together, filmed with differential interference contrast. Benedikt Pleyer, Andrew Moore, Patrick Hickey and Igor Adameyko hold second through fifth. Nikon's prize schedule lists $3,000 for first place in Nikon Small World in Motion, and the statement does not say how that award is handled.
The statement leaves other practical details out. It does not say what in the video violated the rule, who raised the question, or whether Nikon asked for the original footage. Judging took place June 2 to 4 at The Research Park at Torrey Pines in San Diego, according to Nikon's panel announcement, which puts the ruling more than four months after the judges met.
Nikon says the episode showed a need to revisit the rules and evaluation procedures for both Nikon Small World and Nikon Small World in Motion, and it gave no details. With clips capped at 60 seconds, silent and free of graphics, the one safeguard in the published rules is Nikon's right to request the original video.
