An attempt by Galgotias University to contain the fallout from the ‘robot dog’ controversy at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 has instead intensified scrutiny, with many on social media accusing the institution of making a faculty member a “scapegoat” in what critics describe as a damaging institutional misstep.
The controversy began after Neha Singh, a professor representing the university at the summit, told DD News that the robotic dog displayed at the Galgotias pavilion had been “developed by the Centre of Excellence” at the university for the event. The claim was swiftly challenged online, with users identifying the machine as a commercially available Chinese product — the Unitree Go2, manufactured by Unitree Robotics.
What was initially presented as a technological achievement soon turned into what commentators labelled an “international-level embarrassment”. The matter escalated further when the university was reportedly asked to vacate its stall at the summit, being held from 16 to 21 February at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi.
On February 18, Galgotias University issued a public apology, distancing itself from the assertion that the robot was an in-house innovation. The statement said the robot was not a “university creation” and that the “institution had never claimed otherwise”. It went on to attribute the misinformation to a representative at the pavilion.
“We at Galgotias University wish to apologise profusely for the confusion created at the recent AI 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 organiser's sentiment, we have vacated the premises,” the statement read.
The characterisation of the professor as “ill-informed” and “not authorised to speak to the press” quickly became the focal point of public reaction.
As the apology circulated online, many users accused the university of isolating and blaming an individual for what they viewed as a broader institutional lapse.
Neha ji scapegoated!I’m sure she was authorised to speak to the press and was specifically placed there for that role. Why else would you bring the Professor of Communications to an AI summit? — THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) February 18, 2026
One widely shared post read: “Neha ji scapegoated! I’m sure she was authorised to speak to the press and was specifically placed there for that role. Why else would you bring the Professor of Communications to an AI summit?”
Another wrote, “I feel sorry for Neha singh. She has been made the scapegoat now. Why is it always the women who has to face these consequences?”
I feel sorry for Neha singh. She has been made the scapegoat now. Why is it always the women who has to face these consequences ? — Jitesh (@Chaotic_mind99) February 18, 2026
A separate comment added, “So she came out of nowhere and started speaking on her own? At least have the courage to admit you were wrong. That lady defended you till the very end, and now you can’t even show the spine to stand by her.”
There were dissenting voices as well. “But She openly defied your orders and went straight to the media again from the Galgotias pavilion. Ab toh sach bol dey bhai (At least speak the truth now),” one user posted. Another remarked, “This woman after getting all the blame in the press statement after defending the college belike.”
Even so, the dominant narrative online has centred on whether the university’s crisis management strategy effectively shifted responsibility on to a single faculty member, rather than addressing possible lapses in internal communication and oversight at a high-profile national event.
Following the controversy, Singh updated her LinkedIn profile to indicate she is “Open to Work”, signalling potential professional movement. The change has been widely discussed online and interpreted by some as evidence that she may be facing professional consequences.
The update has further strengthened perceptions among sections of social media that she is bearing the brunt of the fallout, even as questions remain about institutional processes governing media interactions and exhibition displays.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is positioned as a major platform for showcasing advances in artificial intelligence. Against that backdrop, the misidentification of a commercially manufactured product as a university-developed innovation has proved reputationally costly.
While Galgotias University has maintained that it “never claimed” the robot as its own creation, the televised statement, the subsequent apology and the decision to vacate the pavilion have together deepened the controversy.
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