A major controversy erupted at the AI Summit in New Delhi when a professor from a prominent Indian university claimed that the "Orion" robot dog was their institution's research product. However, sharp-eyed netizens exposed that it was actually the Go2 model produced by the Chinese company "Unitree Robotics," which is widely available. Recently, the university's booth had its power cut, with officials explaining it was a communication misunderstanding.
India's Galgotias University is facing intense criticism at the "India AI Impact Summit" in New Delhi after its representatives claimed the displayed robot dog was an invention developed by the institution, when in fact it was manufactured by a Chinese company.
The controversy began when Professor Neha Singh of the university told DD News television that the robot dog named "Orion" had been "developed" at the university's center of excellence. However, netizens investigated and identified the robot as the Go2 model made by the Chinese firm Unitree Robotics, which is commercially available at around 200,000 Indian rupees (approximately 68,585 baht).
The university issued a statement denying any intention to claim the robot as their own creation and labeled the criticism as a "propaganda campaign." It stated that programming the robot was part of educational efforts to teach students to use globally available tools to develop AI skills.
Professor Neha Singh later explained to reporters that her words had been misunderstood, saying, "Perhaps I did not communicate what I intended clearly enough, or you may have misunderstood what I was trying to convey."
Reports indicate that following the scandal, the university was asked to vacate the exhibition area. Although faculty members claimed they had not yet received an official notice, PTI news agency reported that the booth’s electricity was cut off later, with local journalists confirming the booth was completely dark and unstaffed.
The incident embarrassed the event organizers, as the interview video had been shared on the official X account of Ashwini Vaishnaw, India's Minister of Information Technology, before being deleted. S. Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of IT, stated this should not overshadow the intentions of other participants and emphasized that attendees should adhere to appropriate ethical standards.
The "India AI Impact Summit" opened on Monday, 16 Feb 2024 GMT+7, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to promote India as a global AI hub. It drew representatives from over 100 countries, including world leaders and top executives like Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google. Despite initial crowd management issues on the first day, the third day saw a lively atmosphere with tens of thousands of attendees.
/sourceBBC