Comedians Atul Khatri and Vir Das mocked private university Galgotias University after a controversy arose over its display of a Chinese-made robotic dog it presented as its own innovation at the AI Summit in New Delhi.
Read also | Memes, jokes flood social media over Galgotias University robot controversy
However, the private Galgotias University was asked to leave its booth at the AI Impact Summit.
Here’s what the comedians had to say:
Comedian Atul Khatri joked that he would be willing to adopt a robot dog, adding: “I just hope Galgotias doesn’t abandon the dog and leave him on the street to fend for himself 😑. I’m willing to adopt him 🙏 along with giving me a manual, warranty card and his charger.”
In another post, he said: “Just withdrew his child from Galgotias University and accepted admission at Lovely Professional University.”
Vir Das took X and wrote, “Nothing is REALLY original when you think about it. Humans are creations themselves that interact and transition into new forms that are derivative, all created by the great Galgothic University in the sky.”
Lyricist and stand-up comedian Varun Grover said, “Tum kitne galgotia pakdoge. Har gali se galgotia niklega.”
In response, IT Minister S Krishnan said the government did not want any exhibitor to showcase products that were not their original creations. “We don’t want such exhibits to continue,” he said after the organizers asked Galgotias University to vacate its stall, as reported by PTI.
Galgotias University apologized
Later in the day, Galgotias University apologized in a statement for the confusion caused at the AI Impact Summit, saying that the person manning the pavilion was misinformed.
Read also | Galgotias University apologizes for row with Chinese RoboDog, says professor ‘misinformed’
“She was unaware of the technical origins of the products and in her excitement to be on camera provided factually incorrect information, even though she was not authorized to speak to the press,” the university said.
The university said there was “no institutional intent to misrepresent this innovation,” saying it remains firmly committed to academic integrity, transparency and responsible representation of its work.
She said she cleared the premises “understanding the mood of the organizer”.
What is the controversy?
The controversy started when Neha Singh of Galgotias University introduced a robotic dog named Orion to DD News on Tuesday and claimed that 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, made by China’s Unitree Robotics and widely used in research and education around the world, PTI reported.
When the episode became controversial, the university was asked to vacate the stand.
Facing backlash, both Galgotias and Singh said Wednesday that the robot was not a creation of the university and that the institution had never claimed otherwise.
Read also | China’s Bot Controversy: Where is Galgotias University? Location, history and more
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Secretary S Krishnan said about the decision to ask Galgotias University to leave the AI Impact Summit Expo, as reported by PTI.
He said: “The point is that we want real, genuine work to be reflected by people exhibiting in exhibitions, the idea is not to use it as an opportunity in another way, we don’t want controversy around the exhibits that are presented here, so I think it’s essential that there is a set code to be followed, our intention is to keep misinformation out of the exhibition, so we don’t want controversy into the exhibition are they right or wrong, we just don’t controversy.”
The university claimed that the exercise was aimed at imparting practical AI programming skills using globally available platforms and tools.
On the ground, the university booth at the show on Wednesday had no display. Some university students continued to occupy the stall.
Nothing is REALLY original when you think about it.
Reacting to the controversy, Singh told PTI that, “The controversy happened because things may not have been clearly expressed and the intention may not have been properly understood.”
Read also | After a robodog fight, the Galgotias face backlash over a “built-from-scratch” drone.
“As for the robot dog, we can’t claim to have made it. I told everyone that we introduced it to our students to inspire them to create something better themselves. Our university contributes to building future leaders by providing cutting-edge technologies in artificial intelligence and will continue to do so.”
Key things
- The importance of originality in technology is reflected in academic events.
- How bias can lead to public backlash and institutional scrutiny.
- The role of humor in addressing serious controversies in the education sector.