NEW DELHI (MNN); A private Indian institution, Galgotias University, was removed from a major artificial intelligence summit in New Delhi after one of its representatives showcased a Chinese-made robotic dog and allegedly presented it as the university’s own innovation.
According to two government officials, the university was directed to dismantle its exhibition stand a day after its communications professor, Neha Singh, told state broadcaster DD News that the robotic dog, named Orion, had been developed by the university’s Centre of Excellence.
However, social media users quickly identified the robot as the Unitree Go2, manufactured by Unitree Robotics and commercially available at a starting price of around $1,600. The robot is widely used for research and educational purposes.
On Wednesday, Singh clarified that she had not explicitly claimed the robot was developed by the university but described it as an exhibit.
Government officials termed the episode an embarrassment for India, which is positioning itself as a global hub for artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.
In an initial statement, Galgotias University said it was “deeply pained” and described the controversy as a propaganda campaign aimed at harming student morale. However, in a subsequent statement, the university apologised for the confusion and said Singh was not authorised to speak to the media and was “ill-informed” about the technical origins of the product.
It remains unclear whether the university’s booth was formally removed from the summit.
The controversy emerged during the India AI Impact Summit, a flagship gathering attended by more than 20 heads of state and government, including Emmanuel Macron and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the summit, which has also drawn top technology leaders such as Sundar Pichai, Cristiano Amon, Sam Altman, Brad Smith and Yann LeCun.
The summit had already faced organisational issues, with reports of long queues, delays and complaints from exhibitors about missing personal belongings, which organisers later said were recovered.
