The ongoing AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi is seen as a success story for India’s economy. Industrialist Mukesh Ambani outlined a multi-year $110 billion investment to build India’s “Sovereign AI” backbone, including renewable-powered data centres, while the Adani Group committed a $100 billion for green-powered data centres. There were commitments from Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Qualcomm, among others. Industry leaders boasted about India’s AI prowess, stating the country now has the world’s highest AI skill penetration and a massive pipeline of AI-ready graduates.
However, while India set a record for over 2.5 lakh AI responsibility pledges in 24 hours, fostering a culture of ethical AI use among citizens, there are controversies that brought legitimacy and ethics elements in sharp focus. Controversy erupted after a representative of the Galgotias University showcased a four-legged robotic dog named Orion (Operational Robotic Intelligence Node) and stated that it was developed by the University’s Centre of Excellence.
The internet went viral with experts calling it a Chinese machine sold under the name Unitree Go2. The university also showcased a “drone soccer arena,” claiming to be their product, which was again contested on social media as a South Korean product, the Helsel Striker V3. Interestingly, Wipro also faced scrutiny after it presented TJ - an Orion-like dog. Although they did not claim ownership to the product, critics opined that the presentation was itself misleading. In a big stage like the AI Summit in New Delhi, the focus of attention is not only about artificial intelligence and digital breakthroughs, but also about legitimacy and transparency. There can’t be any scope for miscommunication or justifications based on perceptions.
While there has been a pledge on ethics, the very same subject came to haunt the summit. Topics of ethics and the legitimacy of academic institutions did the rounds, even as it left many surprised over how the management could play this bluff at the very summit of technology and artificial intelligence, where veracity of claims could be tested in a matter of minutes. Such incidents not only cast a shadow over the credibility and claims of excellence, but betrays trust. China must be having the last laugh.
The question was engaging the University with a controversial past. Lest we forget, a researcher of the institute was slammed after publishing a much-criticised paper titled “Coronavirus killed by sound vibrations: A potential hypothesis”, in 2020. There have been other issues on fake placement claims, document forgery and hostel mismanagement, although none of these were directly connected to ethics. The infamous political protest of 2024 against the Congress party saw memes being circulated against the institution. So, how did an Institute with such baggage and a poor patent record make the cut at an international platform?
While the University official claimed that the robot was used to study and innovate by their centre of excellence, the display itself was obviously to garner traction. The incident highlights a trend where institutions often try to attract students by showcasing or hyping technologies or products that do not belong to them. In an age of breakneck competition, professional ethics are buried to create success stories, despite the availability of tools to detect ethical breaches.
The Galgotias University controversy is a wake-up call for the entire ecosystem of AI education and technology advocacy. The incident has left an indelible blemish on the summit, causing not a headache for the institute, but for the country as a whole. Institutes must adhere to their bounden duty of safeguarding the integrity of academic discourse. There can be no shortcuts to success.
