Galgotias University in India faced criticism at the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi after a professor claimed that a robotic dog displayed at its stall was developed by the university. The robot, named Orion, was later identified online as the Go2 model produced by Chinese company Unitree Robotics. The university denied claiming ownership of the robot, calling the backlash a propaganda campaign, and said its use of the robot was part of efforts to teach students AI programming using global tools.

Professor Neha Singh, who made the initial remarks, said her comments were misunderstood. Reports indicated that the university was asked to vacate its stall, and electricity to the booth was later cut off. A BBC reporter confirmed that the stall was dark and unattended. The controversy embarrassed summit organizers after the video was shared on IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s official account, which was later deleted.

India’s IT Secretary S Krishnan urged that the incident should not overshadow the contributions of other participants. The five-day summit, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to position India as a global AI hub and includes delegates from over 100 countries.