‘She was not authorised to …’: Galgotias University apologises after AI Summit controversy

Galgotias University on Wednesday issued a public apology after it was asked to vacate its stall at the AI Impact Summit over controversy involving a robotic dog displayed at the event.

The row began after the university showcased a robotic dog named Orion at its pavilion during the summit. In a video interaction with DD News, Neha Singh, a professor of communications at the university, said the robot “has been developed by the Centre of Excellence at Galgotias University.”

In a detailed statement issued after being asked to vacate its stall at the AI Impact Summit, Galgotias University sought to clarify its position and explain how the episode unfolded. The institution said the confusion arose due to an unauthorised comment made by a representative at the pavilion.

“We at Galgotias University, wish to apologise profusely for the confusion created at the recent Al Summit. One of our representatives, manning the pavilion, was ill-informed”, the statement said.

It acknowledged that the staff member was not fully aware of the technical background of the robotic dog and was not authorised to speak to the media. The university also stressed that there was no deliberate attempt to misrepresent the product as its own innovation.

“She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information even though she was not authorised to speak to the press. We request your kind understanding that there was no institutional intent to misrepresent this innovation,” the statement added.

The university said it continues to stand by its academic values and has acted in line with the organisers’ directions following the controversy.

“Galgotias University remains firmly committed to academic integrity, transparency and responsible representation of our work. Understanding the organisers sentiment we have vacated the premises,” the statement concluded.

As the video went viral, social media users highlighted that the robot was actually a Unitree Go2, manufactured by China's Unitree Robotics and commonly used in research and education worldwide.

As the episode snowballed into a controversy, the university was asked to vacate the stall. Facing backlash, both Galgotias and Singh on Wednesday said the robot was not a university creation and that the institution had never claimed otherwise.

(with inputs from PTI)