Indian University removed from AI summit over Chinese-made robot claim

An Indian private university faced removal from a major artificial intelligence summit in New Delhi after controversy erupted over a robotic dog showcased at its exhibition booth.

Officials familiar with the matter said Galgotias University was asked to dismantle its stall after one of its faculty members appeared to present a commercially available Chinese robot as a homegrown innovation. The incident occurred during the India AI Impact Summit, which began earlier this week in the capital.

The controversy began when Neha Singh, a communications professor representing the university, told state broadcaster DD News that the robotic dog, named "Orion," had been developed by the institution's Centre of Excellence. Soon after, social media users identified the machine as the Unitree Robotics Go2, a quadruped robot manufactured by the Chinese firm Unitree Robotics and sold internationally for research and educational purposes at a starting price of around $1,600.

Facing criticism online, Singh later clarified to reporters that she had not directly claimed the robot was invented by the university, saying it had merely been displayed as part of the exhibition.

In an initial statement, Galgotias University said it was "deeply pained" by what it described as a propaganda effort aimed at damaging the morale of its students. However, in a subsequent clarification issued the following day, the university apologized for the confusion, stating that Singh was not authorized to speak to the media and had been "ill-informed" about the product's technical background.

"She was unaware of the technical origins of the product and, in her enthusiasm during the interview, provided incorrect information," the statement read.

It remained unclear whether the university ultimately removed its booth from the venue.