New Delhi, February 18 Amid the ongoing controversy over a Chinese robotic dog being portrayed as an Indian innovation by a Noida-based university, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated on Wednesday that action has been taken against wrongdoing at the AI Summit expo.
"At the Artificial Intelligence (AI) exhibition, many good solutions have been presented. If anyone has done wrong, immediate action has been taken against the wrongdoing. However, one should also look at other good AI solutions," Vaishnaw told the media.
The Union Minister's statement comes in the context of the political fallout surrounding a Chinese robotic dog named 'Orion'.
While the University tried to downplay the controversy as "exaggeration and misinterpretation," and stated that its focus aligned with the government's mission and vision, the incident provided the opposition with an opportunity to attack the government.
The Congress accused the government of squandering the opportunity to project India as a global hub of AI innovation and said, "The Modi government has made the country a laughing stock before the world."
Rahul Gandhi, intensifying the attack, described the Summit as a "disorganized PR spectacle" and said, "Instead of leveraging India's talent and data, the AI summit is a disorganized PR spectacle – Indian data up for sale, Chinese products showcased."
With the Information and Technology minister stating that wrongdoing has been addressed, the controversy is expected to subside.
The Galgotias University has been asked to pack up and leave the AI Expo, according to top sources.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Galgotias University stall said that they are staying put and have no information of "being asked to leave".
Neha Singh, a professor at the University, said, "We came here to showcase the work of our students, and we are not in any way trying to tarnish India's image. Our university aligns with the Prime Minister's vision and mission. We are working towards an Aatmanirbhar Bharat."
The controversy erupted on Tuesday, after a representative of the University described the robotic dog as an invention by the varsity's Centre of Excellence and explained to mediapersons the features and technical innovations of the robot, developed by the institute.
The University soon found itself in the crosshairs of netizens, as they called out its "shameful" act of projecting a foreign product as indigenous innovation, thereby bringing a bad name to itself as well as the nation.
