A private Indian university was asked to remove its exhibition booth from the India AI Impact Summit in the capital after a robotic dog displayed at its stand was identified online as a commercially available Chinese product.
According to government officials, Galgotias University was directed to take down its stall after a faculty member stated on state broadcaster DD News that the robotic dog “Orion” had been developed by the university’s Centre of Excellence.
Internet users later pointed out that the robot resembled the Unitree Go2, manufactured by Unitree Robotics and widely used in research and educational institutions.
Clarifications and apology
Professor Neha Singh, who represented the university at the pavilion, later told reporters she had not explicitly claimed the robot was developed in-house but had presented it as part of the exhibition.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the university described the episode as “deeply pained” and said the matter had been amplified negatively. On Wednesday, it issued a clarification stating that Singh was not authorised to speak to the media and was “ill-informed” about the technical origins of the product.
“She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and, in her enthusiasm, gave factually incorrect information,” the statement said, while apologising for the confusion.
It remains unclear whether the university reinstated its booth later.
Spotlight on credibility
The incident occurred during the high-profile India AI Impact Summit, attended by global leaders and technology executives, including Narendra Modi, Emmanuel Macron and Sam Altman.
Observers say the episode underscores the scrutiny faced by institutions as India positions itself as a global hub for artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.
The summit, which began earlier this week, has drawn attention for its scale and international participation, alongside organisational challenges reported by some attendees.