Did Omar Abdullah Criticize Golgotias University for Showcasing a Chinese Robotic Dog at AI Summit?
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Jammu, Feb 18 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, expressed his disapproval on Wednesday regarding Golgotias University in Uttar Pradesh for showcasing a commercially available robotic dog from China at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) summit held in New Delhi while claiming it as a product of the university's innovation.
In a post on X, Abdullah remarked, "Is this what Golgotias instills in its students - to appropriate the work of others and present it as one’s own?"
He further criticized the university's handling of the situation, stating, "When exposed, rather than admitting the mistake and apologizing, excuses are made, and blame is shifted to an employee to safeguard oneself. Thankfully, my education didn’t follow such a path."
Prior to this, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also criticized the AI summit, commenting on X, "Instead of utilizing India’s talent and data, the AI summit turned into a chaotic PR event - with Indian data being sold off and Chinese products on display."
On Wednesday, Golgotias University was instructed to withdraw from the prominent AI summit in New Delhi after one of its representatives showcased a robotic dog, claiming it to be a university innovation.
Officials reported that the university was asked to dismantle its exhibit following a statement made by Professor Neha Singh, who asserted that the robotic dog, known as Orion, was developed by the university's Centre of Excellence.
However, internet users quickly recognized the robot as the Unitree Go2, a product from China’s Unitree Robotics, priced from $1,600 and widely utilized in educational and research settings.
On Wednesday, Singh clarified to reporters that she never explicitly asserted that the robotic dog was a creation of the university, but rather indicated it was part of an exhibit.
In a damage control effort, Golgotias University released a statement expressing that the institution was "deeply distressed" and labeled the incident as a "propaganda campaign" intended to generate negativity and undermine the morale of students dedicated to innovation and skill development through global technologies.