An Indian university is facing a public relations crisis after claiming that the Go2, a robotic canine developed by Chinese firm Unitree Robotics, is its own original creation. This bold assertion was heard during an AI summit in the capital of India, Delhi. The four-day summit drew more than 10,000 delegates from more than 100 countries. Prominent attendees, such as Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, filled the audience when something happened that many are referring to as an embarrassment to the event’s organizers.
Statements made by university professor Professor Neha Singh incendiary fire began when she said that the robotic police dog. She said this with international delegates all around. Yet, within hours, her buzzworthy remarks came under fire, forcing her to walk back those comments and explain that her remarks had been taken out of context.
“It might be that I could not convey well what I wanted to say, or you could not understand well what I wanted to say.” – Neha Singh
The case snowballed once a video of Professor Singh’s claim went viral. The fact that IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw posted this from his verified official X account amplified its reach even further. After the outpouring response, electricity supply to the university’s stall was completely disconnected, warning of a bad situation.
That Go2 model is now available at retail for about 200,000 rupees, or roughly $2,200, £1,600. This has now cast further doubt on the university’s assertions and evidence of ownership. The university continues to strongly refute allegations that it developed the robotic dog. It refers to the backlash the failed passage as a “propaganda campaign” aimed at its good name.
The fallout raised some crucial discussions about the intersections of intellectual property and representation. It unfortunately diverted attention from some of the amazing work and conversations taking place at the summit. India’s IT Secretary, S. Krishnan, is still upbeat. He hopes the continuing drama will not obscure a great deal of worthwhile work produced by other participants.
“What happened should not affect the way people present or exhibit their work at such events. The idea is not to use an opportunity like this to become something else or create unnecessary noise.” – S Krishnan
The AI summit features top level policy roundtables, a startup showcase, and exclusive closed-door meetings centered on AI governance, infrastructure, and innovation. With many heads of governments in attendance, this tiny incident has overshadowed serious efforts to make big strides in adaptation finance and global carbon accounting.