This division became a major flashpoint at the recent AI summit in Delhi. An Indian university faced negative public relations when it accidentally took credit for a robotic dog and announced it was their invention. The shocking act took place at a high profile event that attracted delegates from over 100 countries. Among the VIPs were a handful of government leaders and industry titans, such as Google’s Sundar Pichai.
The AI summit featured a series of policy discussions, startup showcases, and closed-door meetings focused on AI governance, infrastructure, and innovation. A particular highlight of the event was a truly wonderful robotic dog. This particular model, called Go2, is made by the Chinese company Unitree Robotics. This model is now commercially available for about 200,000 rupees (about $2,200 or £1,600).
The university presented the Go2 robotic dog as their latest trailblazing creation. This change drew immediate criticism from social media users, who soon found out the real manufacturer behind the voting machine. After the explosion of social media criticism, the university issued a statement that it never claimed to have constructed the robot. They condemned the pushback as a concerted “propaganda campaign” to discredit their work.
The incident has turned into a public-relations debacle for the event’s organizers. India’s IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the impressive video of the robotic dog on his official X account. This shift was crucial in blowing up the problem with the technology. In response, the university’s administration was quick to plug the grievance, withdrawing the provision of electricity to the stall. This bold step did put an end to the perennial controversy.
Watch as Professor Neha Singh demonstrates the robotic dog in this video. In subsequent comments to reporters, she attempted to explain that her original remarks had been misconstrued. She found the move particularly ironic, stressing that there was never any desire to mislead people into believing that the robot came from elsewhere.
India’s IT Secretary S Krishnan commented on the situation, urging that the controversy should not overshadow the efforts and contributions of other participants at the summit. He implored everyone to keep the spotlight on the really good conversations and ideas that were happening all across the event.