Galgotias University has been asked to vacate its stall at the AI Summit Expo in New Delhi “immediately”, at least two news sources said on Wednesday morning, after the private varsity from Uttar Pradesh’s Noida showcased a China-made robot dog.
Around 1 pm, PTI reported that power supply to the Galgotias University pavilion had allegedly been cut. Officials then placed barricades outside the pavilion after organisers asked the university to vacate its expo stall. Subsequently, Galgotias University staff and representatives vacated their stall at the India AI Impact Summit expo.
The Telegraph Online, however, found the university’s stall manned and functioning at noon on Wednesday. Galgotias has yet to receive any communication about being kicked out from the event, a representative at the booth told Reuters.
The controversy erupted after the university faced online backlash for showcasing a robotic dog named "Orion" at the AI Summit Expo that was actually a Chinese-made Unitree Go2 and not an in-house innovation.
The university has denied claiming it as an in-house innovation, but video clips still circulating online – many of them are being taken down even as this report is being typed – show a woman saying it on camera. The Telegraph Online cannot verify the authenticity of the videos.
Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw from his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle had tweeted a video that seemed to showcase the same dog but that post was later deleted.
Galgotias University has been asked to vacate the expo immediately, news channel NDTV and news agency PTI reported on Wednesday morning quoting unnamed sources.
The university’s stall in Hall 6 was a buzzing place throughout Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, the crowd was less than half of what it was the day before. Their stall is one of the bigger stalls in that hall.
After video clips of the China-made dog were circulated widely online, the university came out with a statement on social media.
“Dear Friends, 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.
“From the United States to China, from Singapore to every global hub of innovation, we have consistently brought cutting-edge technologies to our campus. Why? Because exposure creates vision. And vision creates creators.
“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, neither have we claimed. But what we are building are minds that will soon design, engineer, and manufacture such technologies right here in Bharat.
“Innovation knows no borders. Learning should not either. We will continue to source the best technologies from across the world so our students can study them, challenge them, improve upon them and ultimately create world-class solutions from India for the world. This is not about importing technology.This is about inspiring transformation.This is about empowering young innovators to dream bigger and build those dreams in India,” it added.
On Wednesday morning, it published another statement.
“We at Galgotias, faculty and students, are deeply pained by the propaganda campaign against our university,” it said.
“We would like to clearly state that the robotic programming is part of our endeavour to make students learn Al programming and develop & deploy real world skills using globally available tools and resources, given developing AI talent is need of an hour [Sic].
“Our university's vision is focused on student learning & innovation and we provide students with access to modern technologies so they can gain practical experience and prepare for the future.
Spreading negativity can harm the morale of students, who are working hard to innovate, learn, and build their skills using global technologies,” it added.
When the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were on, a bunch of students from Galgotias University held a protest outside the Congress headquarters. Probed by reporters on why they were protesting, the protesting students had fumbled with their answers.
Galgotias University issued an apology on Wednesday following the controversy over its ‘robodog’ display at the India Impact AI Summit and confirmed that it has vacated its stall at the venue.
"We at Galgotias University, wish to apologise profusely for the confusion created at the recent Al Summit. One of our representatives, manning the pavilion, was ill-informed. She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information even though she was not authorised to speak to the press," the statement read.
"We request your kind understanding as there was no institutional intent to misrepresent this innovation. Galgotias University remains firmly committed to academic integrity, transparency, and responsible representation of our work. Understanding the organisers sentiment we have vacated the premises," it added.
