An incident at the AI summit in Delhi has sparked significant backlash against a local university after claims of an Indian invention turned out to be misleading. A robotic dog ended up stealing the show during this year’s summit. It turns out that cool piece of machinery is the Go2 model, produced by the Chinese firm Unitree Robotics. The event, which attracted delegates from over 100 countries, serves as a platform for policy discussions and showcases in artificial intelligence.
The trouble started when faculty member Neha Singh — featured in a local news clip talking about the robotic pooch — went viral on TikTok for ranting about the tech. This reality-bending footage circulated widely on the official X account of India’s IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Singh boasted that the robot was another sign of Indian innovation. It drew intense backlash as awareness spread that the Go2 model sells for roughly 200,000 rupees (about $2,200 or £1,600).
The exhibition’s current backlash has been called the biggest embarrassment to hit the summit’s organizers. In the aftermath of the outrage, the electricity supply to the university’s booth was disconnected, adding to the drama surrounding the affair. In response to these questions, Singh eventually walked back her comments, claiming that what she said had been misinterpreted.
“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 university moved quickly to deny the allegations made at the summit. It re-emphasized the point that it was never a press release announcing the development of the robotic dog. They denounced the backlash as a “propaganda campaign” trying to sully their good name.
Read more about why India’s IT Secretary S. Krishnan thinks this is a great idea. He highlighted the importance of maintaining high standards of professionalism at international events.
“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
Our annual AI summit is headlined by Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet Google. It is intended to promote high-level, closed-door discussions about AI governance, infrastructure and innovation. Yet with its global readership and emphasis on the most significant changes in technology, credibility is of utmost importance.
As the dust settles on this unfortunate incident, it is a stark reminder of the importance of clear communications. Correctly portraying the scope of technology success is crucial, particularly in an international setting. We’ll be watching the university’s response and ongoing actions very closely. They are hell bent on redeeming themselves after this scandal.