Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday slammed the India AI Impact Summit, terming it a “disorganised PR spectacle” amid the controversy over a robotic dog displayed by Galgotias University.
In a post on X, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged that “Indian data is up for sale” while Chinese products are being showcased at the event. “Instead of leveraging India’s talent and data, the AI summit is a disorganised PR spectacle. Indian data up for sale, Chinese products showcased,” Rahul Gandhi said.
He also shared a post by the Congress party, which alleged that the Modi government had made a “laughing stock of India globally” over the issue. The party claimed that Chinese robots were being displayed as Indian innovations at the summit and alleged that even Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw promoted the robot as a domestic achievement.
“In the ongoing AI summit, Chinese robots are being displayed as our own. The Chinese media has mocked us. This is truly embarrassing for India,” the Congress post said. It further alleged that the government had “reduced AI to a joke” despite India’s potential to become a global leader in the sector.
The controversy began after a viral video showed a university representative describing a robotic dog named “Orion” as being developed by the university’s Centre of Excellence. Social media users later identified the machine as the Unitree Go2, a commercially available robotic dog manufactured by China-based Unitree Robotics and sold online in India for around Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh.
Following the backlash, Galgotias University issued a statement saying it had not built the robodog and that it was being used as a learning tool for students. The university said it was “deeply pained” by what it described as a propaganda campaign and maintained that its focus was on helping students gain practical experience with modern technologies.
Meanwhile, news agency PTI, citing government sources, reported that Galgotias University had been asked to vacate its stall at the AI Summit Expo. However, there has been no official confirmation from the government or the university regarding this claim.
