New Delhi – An Indian university is facing widespread criticism after a professor falsely claimed a Chinese-made robotic dog was developed by her institution at a high-profile artificial intelligence summit. Galgotias University was asked to remove its stand from the India AI Impact Summit after Neha Singh, a professor of communications, presented the Unitree Go2 robot – commercially available for around $2,271 – as an example of indigenous innovation.
The incident, which unfolded earlier this week, quickly drew condemnation online as users identified the robot as a product of Unitree Robotics, a Chinese company specializing in quadruped robots. The summit, attended by heads of state including French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as well as tech industry leaders like Google’s Sundar Pichai and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, was intended to showcase India’s growing prowess in the field of artificial intelligence.
Chinese firm Unitree Robotics’s Go2 dog robot is used widely in education and research. (Supplied: Unitree Robotics)
During a televised interview with state-run broadcaster DD News, Singh showcased the robot’s capabilities, stating, “This has been developed by the centres of excellence at the Galgotias University.” She described the robot as “quite naughty similarly” as it demonstrated tricks like waving and springing onto its hind legs. The incident quickly went viral, prompting swift online backlash and scrutiny of the university’s claims.
Galgotias University initially responded with a statement on X (formerly Twitter) acknowledging that it had not built the robot but framing the situation as an opportunity for its students. “Let us be clear — Galgotias has not built this robodog, neither have we claimed,” the university wrote. “The ‘recently acquired’ Unitree robodog is a ‘classroom in motion’ and ‘our students are experimenting with it, testing its limits.’”
Professor Singh later attempted to clarify her remarks, telling reporters on Wednesday that “things may not have been expressed clearly” and that she “did not communicate it properly.” Although, the damage was already done, with the incident sparking a national debate about the accuracy of claims made in the burgeoning Indian tech sector.
Embarrassment for India’s AI Ambitions
The controversy comes at a sensitive time for India, which is actively promoting itself as a global hub for artificial intelligence and innovation. The India AI Impact Summit, billed as a flagship event in the Global South, aims to attract investment and showcase the country’s technological capabilities. Two government officials, speaking anonymously, told news outlets that the incident was an embarrassment for the nation.
The opposition Congress party seized on the incident to criticize Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, accusing it of making “a laughing stock of India globally, with regard to AI.” In a post on X, the party stated, “In the ongoing AI summit, Chinese robots are being displayed as our own. This is truly embarrassing for India.”
Vaidik Mishra, a student at Galgotias University, told AFP that the controversy was unnecessary. “We were so hopeful that this summit will give us a platform to talk about our start-up. But now It’s all about us lying about the robot, which is not even true. It was just a misunderstanding,” Mishra said.
Summit Faced Initial Challenges
The AI summit itself experienced some logistical issues in its early stages. Attendees and exhibitors reported long queues and delays upon arrival on Monday, and several exhibitors complained about stolen belongings, though organizers later said the items were recovered. These initial challenges added to the negative attention surrounding the event.
India is hosting dozens of world leaders for its high-profile AI summit. (AP)
Despite the early setbacks, the summit is expected to continue with a planned address by Prime Minister Modi on Thursday. The event will also feature presentations from prominent figures in the tech industry, including Sundar Pichai, Cristiano Amon, Sam Altman, Brad Smith, and Yann LeCun.
Tapas Bhattachary, the television reporter who interviewed Professor Singh, urged viewers to maintain a broader perspective. “If one out of hundreds of exhibitors wasn’t being up-front about their innovation, I would not give up on the entire [of] India’s youth who are very innovative,” Bhattachary said.
The incident underscores the challenges India faces in establishing itself as a leader in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence. While the country possesses a large and growing pool of tech talent, ensuring transparency and accuracy in claims of innovation will be crucial for building trust and attracting investment. The next step for Galgotias University will be to address the concerns raised and reaffirm its commitment to ethical and responsible research practices.
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