Scientific Photography Competition Announces All Entries Must Now Include Sworn Affidavit From Each Depicted Cell

The Royal Microscopy Society announced sweeping changes to its annual Scientific Imaging Awards following recent concerns about AI-generated submissions, requiring all photographers to submit notarized affidavit forms signed by every cell, bacterium, and visible organelle appearing in competition entries.

The new authentication protocols mandate that researchers obtain written consent from all biological subjects prior to imaging. For a typical microscopy video containing thousands of cells, this could require processing hundreds of pages of legal documentation. The forms must confirm each cellular participant's voluntary involvement and verify that no generative AI was used to alter or fabricate its appearance. Specimens that expire before completing the notarization process may be photographed only with permission from their nearest living descendants.

The updated guidelines exempt viruses from the paperwork requirements after heated debate among competition organizers over whether non-living particles can legally attest to their own authenticity. Prions and other infectious proteins similarly received exemptions, though the society noted this decision remains under review. Bacterial spores in dormant states may submit affidavits upon reactivation, with a standard 500-year filing extension granted for particularly hardy specimens.

The most contentious provision involves mitochondria, whose legal representatives have filed formal objections arguing the organelles should be classified as independent entities rather than cellular components. Their position cites the structures' separate evolutionary origin and distinct genetic material as grounds for autonomous legal status. If successful, the classification would require researchers to obtain dual consent forms for every eukaryotic cell, with separate documentation for the host cell and each of its mitochondria. The society has appointed a special committee to examine whether chloroplasts, peroxisomes, and other organelles merit similar consideration, with findings expected by 2027.