Bill Gates has withdrawn from the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi, hours before he was due to deliver the keynote, his philanthropic organisation confirmed. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said the decision came after “careful consideration” to ensure the summit remained focused on its key priorities, without offering further details.
Gates’ withdrawal follows renewed scrutiny over his past connections to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after newly released files by the US Department of Justice referenced him. Gates’ spokesperson called the claims “absolutely absurd and completely false,” and Gates has expressed regret for spending time with Epstein. He has not been accused of wrongdoing by any of Epstein’s victims, and his mention in the files does not imply criminal activity.
Ankur Vora, president of the Foundation’s Africa and India offices, will speak in Gates’ place. The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to advancing health and development goals in India. Gates had been in the country, visiting Andhra Pradesh to discuss initiatives in health, agriculture, education, and technology, amid days of uncertainty over his attendance at the summit.
The summit, billed by India as a flagship event to position the country as a global AI hub, features policy discussions, start-up showcases, and investment pledges from companies including Microsoft. Delegates from over 100 countries, including world leaders, are attending. The event has already faced minor controversies, including mismanagement on the first day and an Indian university’s claim to have developed a robot dog that turned out to be Chinese-made.
Despite Gates’ absence, other global figures highlighted AI governance and democratisation. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman urged urgent regulation while warning that centralising AI in one company or country “could lead to ruin.” Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron called for shared approaches to AI, with Modi emphasising that technology should empower people rather than treat them as “data points or raw material,” particularly in the Global South. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said AI’s future should not be “decided by a handful of countries” or the “whims of a few billionaires.”
India’s growing role in AI was further underscored by Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s announcement of a new AI hub in Vishakhapatnam, Mukesh Ambani’s pledge of $110 billion to expand India’s AI ecosystem, and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s plans to collaborate on model safety and evaluation.
While Gates’ withdrawal is a high-profile development, the summit continues to showcase India’s AI ambitions, highlighting the global race for technology leadership and the delicate balance between innovation, collaboration, and reputational scrutiny.
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