New Delhi, Feb 18 Amid the raging controversy over a Chinese robodog being portrayed as an Indian innovation by a Noida-based university, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated on Wednesday that action has been taken on acts of wrongdoing at the AI Summit expo.
“In the Artificial Intelligence (AI) exhibition, many good solutions have been presented. If anyone has done wrong, immediate action has been taken against the wrongdoing. However, one should look at other good AI solutions also,” Vaishnaw told the media.
The Union Minister’s statement comes in the backdrop of politics over a Chinese robotic dog named ‘Orion’.
While the University tried to shrug off the controversy as “exaggeration and misinterpretation” and stated its focus was aligned with the government’s mission and vision, the fiasco gave the opposition a chance to attack the government.
Congress accused the government of squandering away the opportunity of projecting India as a global hub of AI innovation and said, “The Modi government made the country a laughing stock before the world.”
Rahul Gandhi, doubling down the attack, dubbed the Summit a "disorganised PR spectacle" and said, “Instead of leveraging India’s talent and data, the AI summit is a disorganised PR spectacle - Indian data up for sale, Chinese products showcased.”
With the Information and Technology minister stating that wrongdoings have been acted upon, the controversy is expected to settle down.
The Galgotias University has been told to pack up and leave the AI Expo, said top sources.
Meanwhile, those representing the Galgotias University stall said that they are staying put and have no information of “being asked to leave”.
Neha Singh, a professor at the University, said, "We came here to showcase the work of our students, and we are not in any way trying to tarnish India’s image. Our university aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision and mission. We are working towards an Aatmanirbhar Bharat."
The controversy erupted on Tuesday, after a representative of the University described the robotic dog as an invention by the varsity’s Centre of Excellence and explained to mediapersons the features and technical innovations of the robot, developed by the institute.
The University soon found itself in the crosshairs of netizens, as they called out its "shameful" act of projecting a foreign product as indigenous innovation, thereby bringing a bad name to itself as well as the nation.
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