Comedians Atul Khatri and Vir Das mocked the private university Galgotias University after a controversy arose over its display of a made-in-China robotic dog, which it presented as its own innovation at the AI Summit in New Delhi.
However, private university Galgotias has been asked to vacate its stall at the AI Impact Summit.
Here’s what comedians said:
Comedian Atul Khatri joked that he would be willing to adopt the robotic dog, and added, “I just hope Galgotias dont abandon the dog and leave him on the streets to fend for itself 😑. I am willing to adopt it 🙏 along as they give me the manual, warranty card and its charger.”
In another post, he said, “Just removed my child from Galgotias University and took admission in Lovely Professional University.”
Vir Das took to
In response, IT Secretary S Krishnan stated that the government does not want any exhibitor to showcase products that are not their original creations. “We do not want such exhibits to continue,” he said, after organizers asked Galgotias University to vacate its stall, as reported by PTI.
Galgotias University apologized
Later in the day in a statement, Galgotias University apologized for the confusion created at the AI Impact Summit, stating that the person “manning the pavillion was ill-informed”.
“She was not aware of the technical origins of the products and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information even though she was not authorized to speak to the press,” the university said.
Stating that there was “no institutional intent to misrepresent this innovation,” the university said it remains firmly committed to academic integrity, transparency and responsible representations of its work.”
It said it has vacated the premises “understanding the organiser’s sentiment”.
What is the controversy?
The controversy began when Neha Singh of Galgotias University showcased a robotic dog named Orion to DD News on Tuesday, claiming it “has been developed by the Center of Excellence at Galgotias University.”
After the video went viral, social media users pointed out that the robot was actually a Unitree Go2, produced by China’s Unitree Robotics and widely used in research and educational settings globally, PTI reported.
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.
IT Secretary Krishnan, however, emphasized that the government would not tolerate exhibits misrepresented as original creations.
“If you mislead… we do not want a controversy (and) so we do not want a controversial agency… whom people believe are exhibiting something which is not theirs,” he said.
Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary in Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, said the intention is not to stifle innovation but it should not be misleading.
The controversy “should not overshadow the kind of effort that the others have put in,” he said.
Galgotias University get sharp criticism
Facing intense criticism for allegedly presenting imported technology as its own, the Greater Noida-based Galgotias University released a statement saying, “the robotic programming is part of our endeavor to make students learn AI programming and develop and deploy real world skills using globally available tools and resources, given developing AI talent is the need of the hour.”
Stating that its faculty and students were “deeply pained by the propaganda campaign” against the institution, the university said its vision is focused on student learning and innovation, and that it provides students access to modern technologies to help them gain practical experience and prepare for the future.
“Spreading negativity can harm the morale of students, who are working hard to innovate, learn and build their skills using global technologies,” it said.
The university maintained that the exercise was aimed at imparting hands-on AI programming skills using globally available platforms and tools.
On ground, the university’s stall at the expo had no display on Wednesday. Some students of the university continued to occupy the stall.
Nothing is REALLY original when you think about it.
Responding to the controversy, Singh told PTI that, “The controversy happened because things may not have been expressed clearly and the intent may not have been properly understood.”
“Regarding the robot dog, we cannot claim that we manufactured it. I have told everyone that we introduced it to our students to inspire them to create something better on their own. Our university contributes to building future leaders by providing cutting-edge technologies in the field of AI, and it will continue to do so.”
Key Takeaways
- The importance of originality in technology showcases at academic events.
- How misrepresentation can lead to public backlash and institutional scrutiny.
- The role of humor in addressing serious controversies in the educational sector.
