CHENNAI: It had all the makings of a disaster of sorts waiting to happen. The l’affaire Galgotias University at the prestigious international India-AI Impact Summit in New Delhi made headlines in India and abroad for all the wrong reasons.
It cast a long shadow not just on the university in question and the event but also on the country’s higher education and overall innovation ecosystem. Under the global and national media glare, the university tried in vain to pass off a Chinese-built robotic dog as its own.
The question on the top of everyone’s mind is from where the university got the courage to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes, that too when it is so easy to verify its fraudulent claims. Secondly, weren’t there any systems and processes to prevent it from happening at a global event? The inference, needless to say, is obvious, and it is there for everyone to see.
There are many who argue convincingly that the Galgotias scandal is a symptom of the rot in the higher education system and even in the overall society. The “jugaad” mindset, the brazen lying and making exaggerated and fraudulent claims to sell snake oil, and the urge to turn everything into a “public relations” exercise, a media spectacle targeting people, have become the norm. The political intervention and control of universities by the ruling party dovetailed with the educational institutions trying to game the system.
The government, on its part, billed the event as the “world’s largest artificial intelligence summit”, and a Union Minister even boasted that a mind-boggling 70,000 people attended it. Over 2 lakh people reportedly registered online. A PIB release boasted of India securing a title in the Guinness World Records for the most pledges received for an AI responsibility campaign in 24 hours.
It would seem like a case of misplaced priorities. The event had the vibe of a jamboree or a political rally rather than a serious hightech event. The credibility of such high-profile events is dependent on the quality of the delegates who attend it.
The AI-related summits held in other countries were serious events attended by carefully selected CEOs, CTOs, start-up founders, and policymakers who are in the thick of AI action and likely to shape its future. Just for perspective, Britain, for instance, had limited its guest list to 100 politicians, business leaders and academics, and France had over 1,000 participants.
The power to manage headlines, control narratives, and the capability to get away with anything will make the system prone to inefficiency and unprofessionalism. The possibility of being questioned and held accountable is critical for ensuring success.
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