New Delhi – Galgotias University in India is facing mounting criticism after a professor presented a commercially available Chinese robot dog as a university-developed invention at the India AI Impact Summit on Tuesday. The incident, which quickly spread on social media, has sparked accusations of misrepresentation and cast a shadow over India’s ambitions in the field of artificial intelligence.
During a segment broadcast by the state-run DD News, Neha Singh, a professor of communications at Galgotias University, introduced the quadruped robot, dubbed “Orion,” stating it was “developed” by the university’s Centre of Excellence. However, online users rapidly identified the robot as the Unitree Go2, manufactured by Chinese firm Unitree Robotics, and commercially available for approximately 200,000 rupees (roughly $2,200 or £1,600), according to reports.
The university initially responded with a statement denying claims that it had built the robot, characterizing the backlash as a “propaganda campaign.” “We would like to clearly state that the robotic programming is part of our endeavour to make students learn AI programming and develop and deploy real world skills using globally available tools and resources, given developing AI talent is necessitate of the hour,” the university said. Singh herself later told reporters that her remarks had been “misunderstood,” stating, “It might be that I could not convey well what I wanted to say, or you could not understand well what I wanted to say.”
Despite the university’s clarification, the incident drew sharp criticism from opposition parties. The Indian National Congress used the event to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is hosting a major AI summit attended by global leaders including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. “The Modi government has made a laughing stock of India globally, with regard to AI,” the party posted on social media platform X. “In the ongoing AI summit, Chinese robots are being displayed as our own.”
According to reports from the summit, following the controversy, university officials were fielding questions from media regarding the accusations of plagiarism and misrepresentation. As of Wednesday morning, a Reuters news agency reporter confirmed the Galgotias University stall remained open to visitors. However, later on Wednesday, the Press Trust of India reported that the electricity supply to the stall was cut off.
The Unitree Go2 is an intelligent bionic quadruped robot designed for mobility, perception, and interaction. It features a Super Recognition System for environmental awareness and navigation, a 4D LiDAR L2 sensor for real-time 3D mapping, and a maximum running speed of approximately 5 meters per second. The robot also offers multiple connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, and 4G, and boasts a battery life of two to four hours.
The India AI Impact Summit, billed as the first major AI gathering hosted in the Global South, has also faced logistical challenges since its opening on Monday, with delegates reporting overcrowding and organizational issues. Despite these difficulties, the summit has seen pledges of over $100 billion in investment in Indian AI projects from companies including the Adani Group, Microsoft, and Yotta.
As of Wednesday evening, Galgotias University had not received official communication regarding being asked to abandon the India AI Impact Summit, according to a university representative.
