Indian university faces backlash for claiming Chinese robodog as own at AI summit

Galgotias University in India is facing criticism after a professor claimed a commercially available Chinese-made robotic dog, the Unitree Robotics Go2 model, was developed at their Centre of Excellence during an AI summit in Delhi. The university denies claiming to have built the robot, stating they were using it to teach AI programming skills. Social media users accused the university of dishonesty, and reports indicate the university's stall at the summit was asked to be vacated, with its electricity supply later cut off. The incident, which was also shared on IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's X account before being deleted, is considered an embarrassment for the summit organizers. India's IT Secretary urged that the controversy not overshadow the work of other participants and emphasized the importance of a proper code of conduct.

Galgotias University in India is facing criticism after a professor falsely presented a Chinese-made Unitree Go2 robot dog as the university's own creation at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. Social media users identified the robot, which is commercially available for around $2,800. The incident drew attention to India's AI ambitions, especially after a government minister shared the video before deleting it amidst the backlash. While the university has since clarified that they did not build the robot, they maintain that they are training students to develop such technologies in the future. As of Wednesday, the university's stall remained open at the summit, and officials were addressing questions about the misrepresentation.

At the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, a professor from Galgotias University falsely claimed the university developed a Chinese-made robot dog, sparking controversy. The robot dog, manufactured by Unitree, was displayed at the university's booth. The professor stated in a televised interview that the robot, named Orion, was developed by Galgotias University's centers of excellence. Following online criticism, Galgotias University clarified that they did not build the robot dog, but are focused on educating students who will design such technologies in the future. The incident has been described as "embarrassing" by politicians.