The winner of the Nikon Small World in Motion competition, Dr. Ning Xu, is under investigation for allegedly using AI in his video. Scientists have raised concerns about the video's visual anomalies, such as structures appearing and disappearing inexplicably. Dr. Xu's winning entry was intended to depict the movement of cilia, microscopic hair-like structures. Nikon has acknowledged the questions and is re-examining the provided information and additional materials from Dr. Xu. Dr. Xu is reportedly cooperating and has submitted detailed documentation of his microscopy and processing techniques. The video was reportedly flagged for AI generation when run through Google Gemini, which detected an invisible watermark. Dr. Xu admitted to using an AI model for post-processing, specifically for distinguishing and coloring structures. However, he claims this was for technical differentiation and not to generate the video itself. The competition rules explicitly prohibit AI-generated videos. Dr. Xu's LinkedIn messages have disappeared, and his profile seems to have been deleted. This case echoes similar concerns on college campuses, where students are calling out professors accused of using AI for writing. Dartmouth College is investigating similar allegations against its provost, Santiago Schnell, who has admitted to using AI for language refinement and efficiency.