Dongguan emergency contest winner pulled after AI flag

Recently, several competitions have been caught up in controversy over AI-generated works winning prizes. After Hohhot's photography contest had an AI winner, a calligraphy piece titled "Dongguan Emergency Science Popularization" in Guangdong's 2026 emergency works contest was also flagged as AI-made. Netizens pointed out that repeated characters looked identical, and the overall image had multiple flaws not typical of hand-written calligraphy.

Dongguan Emergency Management Bureau responded that after review, they confirmed the work was AI-generated and removed it from the winners list, updating their public account. Staff said the contest was run by a partner, and the expert review focused on content quality, overlooking checks on whether works were AI-created.

Whether the author will be banned from future contests depends on upcoming rules. The third round of submissions is currently on hold.