Galgotias asked to vacate AI Summit expo after robodog controversy: Sources
The uproar began after a clip surfaced in which a woman, during a media interaction at the summit, claimed that Galgotias’s Centre of Excellence had developed a robotic dog named “Orion”
- Feb 18, 2026,
- Updated Feb 18, 2026 11:05 AM IST
Galgotias University has been asked to vacate the AI Summit Expo immediately, government sources said, as controversy intensified over a robotic dog showcased at the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi.
The Greater Noida-based university has been facing online backlash after a viral video alleged that it presented a Chinese-made robotic dog as an indigenous innovation.
What sparked the row
The uproar began after a clip surfaced in which a woman, during a media interaction at the summit, claimed that Galgotias’s Centre of Excellence had developed a robotic dog named “Orion.” Social media users later pointed out that the device resembled the Unitree Go2, an AI-powered robodog manufactured by Chinese robotics firm Unitree and sold online for around ₹2–3 lakh.
Several users accused the institution of passing off imported technology as a homegrown product.
In response, Galgotias University issued a statement on X clarifying that it had not built the device.
“The recently acquired robodog from Unitree is one such step in that journey. It is not merely a machine on display; it is a classroom in motion. Our students are experimenting with it, testing its limits and, in the process, expanding their own knowledge. Let us be clear: Galgotias has not built this robodog, nor have we ever claimed to,” the university said.
Fact-check and counterclaims
The clarification itself came under scrutiny. An X community note fact-checked the university’s statement, asserting that its claim of not presenting the robodog as its own was “incorrect and misleading.”
“They have named the robot ‘Orion’ and explicitly claimed it was developed by their team,” the note said.
The exchange further fuelled criticism online, with users debating whether the institution had misrepresented the origin of the technology during the summit.
University defends approach
In its statement, Galgotias said that innovation and learning should not be confined by national boundaries and that it would continue sourcing advanced technologies globally to give students hands-on exposure.
“Innovation knows no borders. Learning should not either,” the university said.
It added that its objective was to bring cutting-edge technologies from global innovation hubs such as the US, China and Singapore to campus so that students can study, test and improve upon them.
According to the university, the initiative was not about claiming ownership but about inspiring transformation and empowering students to “think bigger and build world-class solutions from India for the world.”
Galgotias University has been asked to vacate the AI Summit Expo immediately, government sources said, as controversy intensified over a robotic dog showcased at the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi.
The Greater Noida-based university has been facing online backlash after a viral video alleged that it presented a Chinese-made robotic dog as an indigenous innovation.
What sparked the row
The uproar began after a clip surfaced in which a woman, during a media interaction at the summit, claimed that Galgotias’s Centre of Excellence had developed a robotic dog named “Orion.” Social media users later pointed out that the device resembled the Unitree Go2, an AI-powered robodog manufactured by Chinese robotics firm Unitree and sold online for around ₹2–3 lakh.
Several users accused the institution of passing off imported technology as a homegrown product.
In response, Galgotias University issued a statement on X clarifying that it had not built the device.
“The recently acquired robodog from Unitree is one such step in that journey. It is not merely a machine on display; it is a classroom in motion. Our students are experimenting with it, testing its limits and, in the process, expanding their own knowledge. Let us be clear: Galgotias has not built this robodog, nor have we ever claimed to,” the university said.
Fact-check and counterclaims
The clarification itself came under scrutiny. An X community note fact-checked the university’s statement, asserting that its claim of not presenting the robodog as its own was “incorrect and misleading.”
“They have named the robot ‘Orion’ and explicitly claimed it was developed by their team,” the note said.
The exchange further fuelled criticism online, with users debating whether the institution had misrepresented the origin of the technology during the summit.
University defends approach
In its statement, Galgotias said that innovation and learning should not be confined by national boundaries and that it would continue sourcing advanced technologies globally to give students hands-on exposure.
“Innovation knows no borders. Learning should not either,” the university said.
It added that its objective was to bring cutting-edge technologies from global innovation hubs such as the US, China and Singapore to campus so that students can study, test and improve upon them.
According to the university, the initiative was not about claiming ownership but about inspiring transformation and empowering students to “think bigger and build world-class solutions from India for the world.”