A major diplomatic spat exploded at the AI ministerial in Delhi. Earlier in August, an Indian university faced condemnation for reportedly taking credit for a robotic dog that it did not invent. The summit, which gathered delegates from over 100 countries, featured discussions on artificial intelligence governance, infrastructure, and innovation, alongside startup showcases and closed-door meetings.
The Forum attracted sure-footed attendance of head-turningly notable figures. Among them were at least a half dozen heads of state and industry titans, including Sundar Pichai—CEO of Google. Then there was the incident when Professor Neha Singh’s comments about a robotic dog were completely misconstrued, leading to a public outcry.
As part of the Connect2Safety summit, a unique video presentation featured Spot, the robotic dog. It was pointed out to be the Go2 model, produced by Unitree Robotics, a Chinese company. This model is currently commercially available, beginning at around 200,000 rupees ($2,200; £1,600). The confusion seems to have happened when attendees thought that the Indian university had said it owned the device.
In response to the uproar, Professor Singh clarified her statements to reporters, saying, “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.”
The university in question quickly followed up with a denial, maintaining that it had never, in fact, stated that it had developed the robotic dog. Instead, in widely circulated letters they likened the backlash to a “propaganda campaign” designed to ruin their credibility. This high-profile incident has turned into an embarrassment for the civic organizers of this summit.
Perhaps in reaction to the drama, one of the many unknown conference presenters commented on the importance of appropriate behavior at international conferences. “It is essential that a proper code of conduct is followed. There are other countries and other participants involved as well,” he told reporters.
India’s IT Secretary S Krishnan addressed the situation, stating, “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.”