India
Professor Neha Singh of Galgotias University, who became the center of a major controversy at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, has reportedly deleted her LinkedIn profile. Singh drew widespread attention after she presented a robodog, claiming it was developed by the students of Galgotias University’s Centre of Excellence. However, netizens quickly identified the robotic quadruped as a commercially available model manufactured by Chinese company Unitree Robotics, sparking an online backlash.
The incident unfolded during the AI Impact Summit held in Greater Noida, where Professor Singh introduced the robot, saying, “This is Orion. This has been developed at the Centre of Excellence at Galgotias University.” The robodog was shown moving freely and performing surveillance and monitoring tasks across the campus. Soon after, the claims were scrutinized and criticized on social media, raising questions about the authenticity of the presentation.
Following the uproar, the link to Professor Singh’s LinkedIn account now leads to a page displaying the “Error 404” message, indicating that the profile has been removed. Despite the controversy, Galgotias University has clarified that Singh has not been suspended and that an internal investigation into the incident is ongoing.
In response to the controversy, Professor Singh acknowledged that her statements were not clearly communicated. She told HT, “I could have been more eloquent. I could have been more articulate. Because of the euphoria and rush, things went a little hither-thither, which was never the intention. The branding has not been changed.” She emphasized that her remarks were driven by enthusiasm and not by any intent to falsely claim the robot as a student creation.
Meanwhile, Galgotias University issued multiple statements clarifying that the institution did not claim ownership of the robot. The university confirmed that the robodog was acquired from Unitree Robotics as part of its AI investments and highlighted that its primary focus remains on nurturing students who will design, engineer, and manufacture such technologies in the future.
The university later attributed the gaffe to Professor Singh’s “enthusiasm to be on camera” and issued an official apology for the confusion caused at the summit. “One of our representatives, manning the pavilion, was ill-informed. She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information even though she was not authorised to speak to the press. Understanding the organizers’ sentiment, we have vacated the premises,” the statement read.
The robodog controversy continues to generate debate online, highlighting the challenges universities face in balancing innovation showcases with accurate communication at high-profile tech events.
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