Actor-comedian Vir Das has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Galgotias University at the India AI Impact Summit, responding in his own way after the issue picked up online. The actor-comedian reacted with humour, even as the debate around the robotic dog continued to unfold.
What did Vir Das write about Galgotias University?
Vir Das has his own humorous way of reacting to trending news of the day. Amid the chatter around Galgotias University’s robotic dog, the Go Goa Gone actor posted a photo of a real dog and penned, “Gonna use this opportunity to encourage everyone to adopt an indie dog. They are wonderful. This is stoopee. Just told him he wasn’t made by Galgotia University.”
In a separate X post, he penned, “Nothing is REALLY original when you think about it. Humans are creations themselves interacting and bursting into new forms that are derivative, all made by the great Galgotia University in the sky.”
What is the Galgotias University robotic dog controversy?
The controversy began after Galgotias University was asked to vacate its stall at the expo area of the AI Summit in New Delhi. A video from the event went viral, showing representatives presenting a robotic dog as a product developed by the university’s Centre of Excellence.
The robot was later identified as the Unitree Go2, a commercially available model manufactured by Chinese robotics firm Unitree Robotics. It is available in India at prices ranging between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh.
At the summit, the robot was displayed under the name “Orion”. In one widely shared clip, a university representative described its features and said it had been developed by the Centre of Excellence. In another video, a professor made a similar claim during a media interaction.
How did Galgotias University respond to the controversy?
Social media users soon identified the robotic dog as an imported product and accused the university of presenting it as an in-house innovation. The videos spread quickly, prompting criticism online. Reacting to the situation, Professor Neha Singh, who presented the robot, acknowledged the lapse and took responsibility for how the information was conveyed.
“The controversy happened because things may not have been expressed clearly. I take accountability that perhaps I did not communicate it properly, as it was done with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and very quickly, so I may not have come across as eloquently as I usually do. Also, the intent may not have been properly understood. One important point is regarding the robot dog—we cannot claim that we manufactured it. I have told everyone that we introduced it to our students to inspire them to create something better on their own. Our university contributes to building future leaders by providing cutting-edge technologies in the field of AI, and it will continue to do so,” she said.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Vir Das was last seen in Aamir Khan Productions’ Happy Patel: Khatarnaak Jasoos.
Also read: Aamir Khan ‘beats’ Vir Das during Happy Patel Khatarnak Jasoos promotions; Imran Khan returns to acting
