Galgotias University officials leave AI Impact Summit expo after massive Chinese robot dog controversy

Galgotiyas University staff and officials were seen on Wednesday vacating their stall at India AI Impact Summit expo, following the massive controversy over its display of a Chinese robodog.

This came after reports suggested that Galgotias University had been asked to vacate its stall at the expo area at the AI Impact Summit. However, the Uttar Pradesh-based university denied such reports and told Livemint that it had not yet received such a communication.

IT Secretary S Krishnan had earlier today said that the government did not want any controversy at the summit, warning that plagiarism will not be encouraged.

“We want genuine exhibitors at the expo. We don’t want controversy around exhibits here. Plagiarism, misinformation cannot be encouraged. This should not overshadow the wonderful exhibits others have put out,” he said.

Acknowledging the controversy, Abhishek Singh, additional secretary at MeitY, India AI Mission CEO said, “The main problem is they claimed to be something they are not. They misled. The whole world is here.”

A widespread controversy erupted earlier this week after Galgotias University faced online backlash for showcasing a robotic dog it labelled “Orion” at the AI Summit expo, being organised at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. However, critics soon pointed out that the robot in question was actually a Chinese-made Unitree Go2 and not an in-house innovation.

Galgotias University faced massive backlash and accusations of misrepresenting imported tech as its own.

According to a person quoted by PTI, the university was asked earlier on Wednesday to vacate the expo immediately.

Galgotias University initally denied report

Galgotias University initially denied any report of receiving an official communication. A top university official told LiveMint that the university will act accordingly after receiving any notice.

“We have already issued a statement that we had purchased the robot, and our students were working on it. We never claimed that we made it. As for the stall at the AI Summit, we have not received any official communication yet. Once we get, we will act accordingly,” Dr Nitin Kumar Gaur, Registrar of Galgotias University, told LiveMint over a telephonic conversation.

Separately at the Global AI Impact Summit, Galgotias University Professor Aishwarya Shrivastava said they had no information on vacating their stall as of now.

She further said, “We never claimed that we manufactured it (robodog), it was only a part of our AI investment. It got misinterpreted in a big way.”

Galgotias University issues statement

Separately on Tuesday, Galgotias University issued a statement regarding the controversy.

“At Galgotias University, our mission has always been clear — to keep our students ahead of the curve in technology, not just for today’s world, but for the world that is unfolding tomorrow,” it said.

The university claimed that its students were still experimenting with it.

“The recently acquired Robodog from Unitree is one such step in that journey. It is not merely a machine on display — it is a classroom in motion. Our students are experimenting with it, testing its limits, and in the process, expanding their own knowledge.”

“Let us be clear — Galgotias has not built this robodog, nor have we claimed. But what we are building are minds that will soon design, engineer, and manufacture such technologies right here in Bharat,” the university added in its statement.

Professor takes accountability

On Wednesday, Galgotias University professor Neha Singh, whose video went viral amid the controversy, took accountability for the apparent miscommunication.

“The controversy happened because things may not have been expressed clearly. I take accountability that perhaps I did not communicate it properly, as it was done with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and very quickly, so I may not have come across as eloquently as I usually do. Also, the intent may not have been properly understood. One important point is that we cannot claim to have manufactured the robot dog,” Singh said.

“I have told everyone that we introduced it to our students to inspire them to create something better on their own. Our university contributes to building future leaders by providing cutting-edge technologies in the field of AI, and it will continue to do so,” she added.

Regarding whether the government asked us to vacate the expo area, the professor said, “I do not have any information about that. What I know is that today we are all present here.”