In enthusiasm of being on camera: Galgotias blames professor for row at AI Summit

Galgotias University has publicly apologised for misinformation provided by an unauthorised staff member at the recent AI Summit. The university said it is commitment to transparency and has vacated the event premises following the controversy.

After days of online outrage and a public exit from the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi, Galgotias University has apologised for the confusion surrounding a Chinese-made robotic dog displayed at its pavilion, saying a representative gave “factually incorrect information” “in her enthusiasm of being on camera”.

The Greater Noida-based university, which faced accusations of passing off an imported device as its own innovation, said the staff member who spoke to the media was “ill-informed” and not authorised to do so.

“We at Galgotias University, wish to apologise profusely for the confusion created at the recent AI 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 university said in a press release dated February 18.

The row erupted after a video went viral on social media claiming that a university professor, Neha Singh, had presented the Unitree Go2 — an AI-powered robotic dog manufactured by Chinese firm Unitree and sold online for USD 2,800, roughly Rs 2.3 lakh, under the name “Orion” at the summit.

Several users alleged that the institution had showcased the device as an indigenously developed product. The controversy triggered sharp criticism online, with questions raised about academic integrity and transparency.

In an earlier statement posted on X, the university said the robodog had been procured from Unitree and was being used as a teaching tool.