Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, will not deliver his keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit, the Gates Foundation announced hours before he was scheduled to speak.
The foundation said the decision was made after “careful consideration” and “to ensure the focus remains on the summit’s key priorities,” without providing further details.
Gates’s withdrawal comes amid renewed scrutiny of his past ties to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein following new files released by the US Department of Justice in January.
Gates has denied any wrongdoing, calling the claims “absolutely absurd and completely false,” and expressed regret over spending time with Epstein. He has not been accused of any criminal activity, and his name appearing in the files does not imply misconduct.
Ankur Vora, president of the Gates Foundation’s Africa and India offices, will speak at the summit in Gates’s place. The foundation reiterated its commitment to advancing health and development initiatives in India.
Gates’s decision follows days of uncertainty over his attendance. The billionaire was in India this week, visiting Andhra Pradesh to discuss initiatives in health, agriculture, education, and technology. Initial reports suggested he might cancel, but the foundation briefly confirmed he would deliver the address before ultimately withdrawing.
Despite his absence, the summit continues to attract global attention. Delegates from more than 100 countries, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, have emphasized AI democratisation and inclusive innovation.
Key speakers also included OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who highlighted AI safety, governance, and India’s growing role in the sector. Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani pledged $110 billion over seven years to build the country’s AI ecosystem, while Anthropic expressed interest in collaborating on model testing and safety.
The five-day summit, India’s flagship AI gathering, also faced controversies over mismanagement and disputed claims about domestic AI technologies. Nevertheless, the event remains central to India’s strategy to position itself as a global AI hub.
Source: BBC