Everybody is talking about AI these days. Lawrence Wong talked about it as if it’s going to be the magic pill that will solve our underemployment issues; not a poison.
The recent India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi was supposed to be a shining showcase of homegrown innovation—Prime Minister inaugurations, big talks about India’s AI future, the works. Instead, it gave us one of the most gloriously awkward moments in Indian academia since someone tried to pass off ChatGPT as “ancient Indian wisdom.”
Enter Galgotias University and their star exhibit: a sleek robotic dog which they proudly named “Orion.” And who better to hype it up than Neha Singh, Professor of Communications at the School of Management. (Yes, Communications. The irony is so thick you could spread it on toast.)
In a viral clip with DD News, she beams at the camera:> “You need to meet Orion. This has been developed by the Centre of Excellence at Galgotias University.”
Ah, developed (pronounced “devil-lep”). Not “purchased,” not “demo unit,” not even “our students slapped some stickers on it.” She said “developed” (pronounced “devil-lep”).
Within hours, eagle-eyed netizens did what netizens do best: reverse-image-searched the robot faster than you can say “Made in China.” As it turned out, “Orion” was just your friendly neighborhood Unitree Go2, a commercially available robodog from Chinese firm Unitree Robotics. Price tag? Around ₹2-3 lakh. Innovation level? About as original as renaming your iPhone “MyPhone” and claiming you invented telephony.
The backlash was swift. The university got politely (but firmly) asked to vacate their stall. Why? Because nothing screams “national embarrassment” like being caught boasting about making something you bought on eBay.
Now, here’s where it gets comedy-gold. Instead of a simple “We messed up, sorry folks,” the response became a masterclass in political denial.The university dropped an official statement blaming… wait for it… Professor Singh herself! She was “ill-informed,” “not authorised to speak to the press,” and—my personal favourite—”in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.
“Translation: “She got too excited about the spotlight and words just… spilled out.”
But Professor Singh, true to her Communications expertise, wasn’t about to apologise then go hide in shame. Oh no. The show must go on. She delivered this gem to the press:> “The controversy happened because things may not have been expressed clearly. I take accountability that perhaps I did not communicate properly, as it was done with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and very quickly, in a jiffy, so I may not have come across as very eloquent, which is a rare case.”
Let’s unpack that beauty:- Not “I lied” or “I was wrong.”- “Things may not have been expressed clearly” → classic passive-voice deflection.- “I take accountability that perhaps I did not communicate properly” → accountability… for communication. From a communications professor. At an AI summit. About a robot.- “With a lot of energy and enthusiasm and very quickly, in a jiffy” → she was basically speed-talking her way into legend status.- “I may not have come across as very eloquent, which is a rare case” → translation: “I’m usually amazing at this, but the mic got me today.”
Prof Neha Singh from Galgotias University basically turned a straightforward “sorry, we bought a Chinese robodog and called it ours” into a TED Talk on why her eloquence temporarily glitched. Ah, the pathetic academic that I’m so familiar with, except that she gets a medal from me.
Meanwhile, social media did what it does: memes exploded. People joked – she should pivot to politics (“Your 6 can be my 9” energy), others suggested she apply for a job in “creative rebranding,” and her LinkedIn briefly flashing “Open to Work” sent everyone into detective mode wondering if the university had thrown her under the robo-bus. Oh, and this one is from me:
In the end, Galgotias University issued more apologies, clarified that the robodog was just for “student learning,”. They obligingly vacated the stall and promised an “internal review” to find out who forgot to tear the label off, repaint the robot and maybe hang some flowers. But the damage was done and you can’t untickle those who have been ROTFL.
After this fiasco, I doubt Prof Neha Singh formerly from Galgotias University will ever find herself working in Singapore. That doesn’t mean that we don’t already have many like her easing Singapore’s insatiable demand for talent.