New Delhi, February 18 – Galgotias University, which had been facing criticism from all sides, including the public, for approximately twenty-four hours, was asked to leave the AI Summit Expo on Wednesday evening due to the controversy surrounding its Chinese robotic dog.
The Greater Noida-based university issued a statement on Wednesday, saying that it was "deeply apologetic" for the incident and announced that it would be vacating the pavilion it had been allocated at the AI India Expo.
The controversy began at the AI Summit Expo on Tuesday, when the university's pavilion was used to showcase a Chinese robotic dog. One of the university's professors explained the dog's AI-enabled features and described it as a "landmark innovation" by the university's students.
Initially reluctant to express regret, Galgotias University issued a public apology, stating that it was "profusely apologetic" for the irresponsible and misleading conduct at the Expo.
Referring to the professor who caused the controversy, the university said that the person manning the pavilion was ill-informed.
"She was not aware of the technical origins of the product, and, in her enthusiasm for being on camera, she gave factually incorrect information, even though she was not authorized to speak to the press," it stated.
Neha Singh, a professor of communications at Galgotias University, told a news reporter on Tuesday that the robotic dog on display, named Orion, was developed by the Centre of Excellence at Galgotias University.
The lapse was quickly spotted by netizens and technical experts, who found that the dog was manufactured by China's Unitree Robotics.
The shocking revelations prompted angry backlash and criticism against the university, with experts and the public condemning the university for tarnishing the largest-ever AI Summit being held at the capital's Bharat Mandapam and for bringing shame to the nation.
Earlier in the day, the lights at the university's stall were cut, and its staff were seen leaving the Expo. When questioned by reporters, they tried to avoid the issue.
In its previous clarification, the university had said that it "never claimed to have built the device on its own" and that it was procured from a Chinese manufacturer to expose its students to technical advancements in AI-enabled landscapes.