Big Controversy Upends a Contest About Microscopic Videos

After weeks of controversy, Nikon announced on Friday that it had rescinded the first-place award it gave in its annual Small World in Motion contest after determining the winning video broke its rule against generative artificial intelligence use in submissions.

The Nikon Small World in Motion is an annual video contest that awards the best footage captured through the lens of a microscope. The competition began in 1975, originally accepting only photo submissions, and a separate contest was created for videos in 2011.

“After thoroughly re-evaluating the video and supporting materials and consulting with members of our judging panel, Nikon has determined that the winning video did not comply with the competition rules regarding generative A.I.,” the company wrote in a statement posted on its website.

The New York Times was one of many media organizations that featured the winning video, among others, in its coverage of the competition’s results, which were announced on Sept. 16.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/09/science/nikon-microscopic-videos-ai.html