‘These Robot Dogs Are Chinese, Not Indian': University Thrown Out Of AI Summit
A major controversy erupted at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi when Galgotias University was accused of misrepresenting a Unitree Robotics Go2 robot as its own innovation.
The AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, hosted at Bharat Mandapam, brought together leaders from over 100 countries, including France’s President Emmanuel Macron and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with global tech figures such as Sundar Pichai. The large-scale event featured discussions, demonstrations, and AI-driven innovations across sectors including healthcare, agriculture, and education.
However, a controversy erupted when Galgotias University showcased a four-legged robot named “Orion” and faculty members appeared to describe it as an in-house development. Online users quickly identified the robot as a commercially available model produced by Unitree Robotics, sparking accusations that the university had misrepresented a foreign product as its own innovation.
The university later issued statements on X, denying that it had officially claimed to have built the robot and clarifying that it was used only as a learning tool. A professor involved said her remarks were misinterpreted. Meanwhile, reports from the venue indicated that authorities instructed the university to vacate its stall; although the university said no formal notice was received, power to the booth was eventually cut, and staff were no longer present.
Complicating matters further, the robot had earlier been shared on social media by India’s IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and the post was removed once the controversy grew. Later, India’s IT Secretary S Krishnan publicly addressed the issue, stating that the summit must uphold authenticity and that misinformation or plagiarism would not be encouraged.
The incident briefly overshadowed an otherwise high-profile international technology gathering aimed at showcasing advancements in artificial intelligence and global collaboration.
