Galgotias University expelled from AI summit after presenting Chinese robotic dog as own creation

India tells university to leave AI summit after presenting Chinese robot as its own, sources say

NEW DELHI, Feb 18 (Reuters) - An Indian university has been asked to vacate its stall at the country's flagship AI summit after a staff member was caught presenting a commercially available robotic dog made in China as its own creation, two government sources said. "You need to meet Orion. This has been developed by the Centre of Excellence at Galgotias University," Neha Singh, a professor of communications, told state-run broadcaster DD News this week in remarks that have since gone viral. But social media users quickly identified the robot as the Unitree Go2, sold by China's Unitree Robotics for about $2,800 and widely used in research and education globally. The episode has drawn sharp criticism and has cast an uncomfortable spotlight on India's artificial intelligence ambitions. The embarrassment was amplified by IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who shared the video clip on his official social media account before the backlash. The post was later deleted. Both Galgotias and Singh have subsequently said the robot was not a university creation and the university had never claimed otherwise. The stall remained open to visitors as of Wednesday morning with university officials fielding questions from media about accusations of plagiarism and misrepresentation. Galgotias has yet to receive any communication about being kicked out from the event, a representative at the booth said. The India AI Impact summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, which runs until Saturday, has been billed as the first major AI gathering hosted in the Global South. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Google's Sundar Pichai, OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic's Dario Amodei will address the gathering on Thursday. The event has also faced broader organisational difficulties since opening, with delegates reporting overcrowding and logistical issues. That said, there has been more than $100 billion of investment in India AI projects pledged during the summit, including investments from the Adani Group conglomerate, tech giant Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab and data centre firm Yotta. India's biggest opposition party, Congress, was amongst those expressing outrage. "The Modi government has made a laughing stock of India globally with regard to AI," it said on social media, citing the robot incident. Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in New Delhi; Editing by Edwina Gibbs Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * China Munsif Vengattil Thomson Reuters Based in Bengaluru, Munsif Vengattil leads Reuters' technology news coverage in India. He tracks themes at the intersection of tech, business, and labor. A reporter for nine years, Munsif has written extensively on India's electronics manufacturing aspirations and its tech policy space, AI and election interference, satellite internet, streaming wars, and data breaches. His stories also focus on investigating corporate strategies and revealing India-specific initiatives and challenges of the biggest of tech firms - from Apple, Facebook, and Google, to Foxconn, Samsung, and Nvidia.

India boots a private university from an AI summit over a robot dog controversy

NEW DELHI (AP) -- A private Indian university was booted from a top artificial intelligence summit in New Delhi on Wednesday after one of its staffers displayed a commercially available robotic dog made in China, claiming it was the university's own innovation. According to two government officials, Galgotias University was ordered to take down its stand at the summit a day after the university's professor of communications, Neha Singh, told state-run broadcaster DD News that robotic dog Orion was developed by the Centre of Excellence at the university. Internet users, however, quickly identified the robot as the Unitree Go2, sold by China's Unitree Robotics with a starting price tag of $1,600 and used widely in research and education. On Wednesday, Singh told reporters she never explicitly claimed the dog was university's own creation, but only an exhibit. The incident was an embarrassment for host country India, the two government officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media. However, a statement from Galgotias said the university was "deeply pained" and described the incident as a "propaganda campaign" that could spread negativity and harm the morale of students working to innovate, learn and build their skills using global technologies. It wasn't immediately clear if the university had removed its booth from the summit. Still, the episode underscores the high stakes for India as it tries to cast itself as a global hub for AI and advanced manufacturing, drawing billions of dollars in investments while stressing credibility and local innovation. The summit kicked off on Monday with some organizational hiccups as attendees and exhibitors reported long queues and delays at the venue. Several exhibitors took to social media to complain that their personal belonging and products on display were stolen. Organizers later said the items were recovered and returned. The India AI Impact Summit, billed as a flagship event in the Global South, is attended by at least 20 heads of state and governments, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a session Thursday. Also expected to attend are Google's Chief Executive Sundar Pichai, Qualcomm's CEO Cristiano Amon, OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft's President Brad Smith and AMI Labs Executive Chairman Yann LeCun.

Galgotias University asked to vacate AI Impact Summit Expo stall over 'robotic dog' row

Galgotias University faced removal from the AI Summit Expo. A robotic dog, presented as an in-house innovation, was identified as a China-made Unitree Go2. This led to accusations of misrepresentation. The university stated its focus is on student learning using global tools. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the event, highlighting India's AI advancements. Galgotias University has reportedly been asked to immediately vacate its stall at the AI Summit Expo following a controversy over a robotic dog it showcased at the event. According to reports, the row erupted after the university displayed a robotic dog named "Orion" at the expo, presenting it as part of its artificial intelligence and robotics initiatives. However, critics on social media alleged that the device was actually a China-made Unitree Go2 and not an in-house innovation. Amid mounting online backlash and accusations of misrepresenting imported technology as its own, the university was directed to vacate its stall. Amid the escalating row, Galgotias University issued an official clarification, expressing concern over what it described as a "propaganda campaign" against the institution. "We at Galgotias, faculty and students, are deeply pained by the propaganda campaign against our university. We would like to clearly state that the robotic programming is part of our endeavour to make students learn AI programming and develop & deploy real world skills using globally available tools and resources, given developing AI talent is need of an hour," the statement said. The university added that its vision is focused on student learning and innovation, and that it provides access to modern technologies to help students gain practical experience. "Spreading negativity can harm the morale of students, who are working hard to innovate, learn, and build their skills using global technologies," it said. In a press release issued by Galgotias University, it described ORION -- short for Operational Robotic Intelligence Node -- as a "major crowd puller" at its pavilion. The university said the robotic system interacted live with delegates and demonstrated applied robotics and intelligent systems integration. "The live demonstrations drew significant attention, reinforcing the University's emphasis on hands-on, real world AI deployment," the statement said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, saying India's advances in artificial intelligence would contribute not just to national transformation but also to global progress. The summit has drawn over 20 Heads of State, 60 ministers and 500 global AI leaders, positioning it as one of the largest AI gatherings hosted in the Global South. (With inputs from agencies)

Orion or Unitree Go2? Viral robodog row sees Galgotias kicked out of India AI Impact Summit

Despite reports of being asked to vacate the expo area, a faculty member said no official communication had been received regarding removal from the summit. Galgotias University has reportedly been asked to vacate its stall at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi after controversy erupted over a robotic dog showcased at the expo. As per the reports, the action was taken after videos circulated online appearing to show university representatives presenting a commercially available Chinese robot as an in-house innovation. Social media users identified the robot on display as the Unitree Go2, a quadruped machine manufactured by China-based Unitree Robotics and sold in India for between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh. At the summit, however, the device was introduced as "Orion" and described on camera as a product developed by the university's Centre of Excellence. The videos from the event showed a university representative explaining the robot's capabilities to the media while claiming that it was developed in-house. In another interaction, a faculty member claimed that the machine was built by the university's team. These videos quickly went viral online, with users claiming that imported hardware was being portrayed as an Indian innovation. In a statement published on X, the university stated that the robotic dog was purchased from Unitree as part of its efforts to expose students to emerging technologies. It maintained that the machine was intended as a teaching tool and experimentation platform, rather than a product developed on campus. The statement stated that, while the robot was being used for academic research, the institution did not design or manufacture it. The university later described the backlash as a concerted effort to tarnish its image. However, the post drew a Community Note on X, which pointed out inconsistencies between the university's clarification and previous on-camera claims by its representatives, such as renaming the robot "Orion." One faculty member who had previously described the robot as a university development later suggested that there may have been a communication breakdown during media interactions, stating that she is from the School of Management and is not directly involved in AI development. She explained that the robot had been brought to the expo for demonstration purposes. Meanwhile, another university professor stated that they had not received any official communication about being asked to vacate the summit premises, despite reports to the contrary.