In a stinging rebuke, Union Minister Chirag Paswan has described the presentation of a Chinese robodog as a homegrown innovation at the India AI Impact Summit as a ‘gross negligence.’ He revealed that post-event investigations and actions are on the horizon.
Hosted at Galgotias University, the summit saw the Unitree Go2 robodog paraded as the brainchild of the institution’s Center of Excellence. The truth surfaced soon after: it’s a product of Chinese firm Unitree Robotics.
‘It’s utterly inappropriate for any university to showcase a product and falsely attribute it to themselves,’ Paswan told the press. He highlighted the global stakes involved, stating that lapses like these on international stages could damage India’s credibility worldwide.
Drawing attention to the spokespersons’ remarks, Paswan pointed out how she seemed to spin the narrative before backpedaling to a ‘miscommunication.’ In the context of a major national AI event, this incident demands scrutiny.
The central government’s stance aligns with Paswan’s, advocating for authentic displays only and zero tolerance for deception at such events.
Trouble began with Professor Neha Singh’s on-camera assertion that the ‘Orion’ robodog was university-made. Retraction followed, blaming it on poor communication.
The university quickly apologized publicly, admitting the representative’s lack of expertise and media clearance.
This blunder serves as a wake-up call for India’s burgeoning AI ecosystem, emphasizing accountability as the nation positions itself as a global tech leader.