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Bill Gates withdrew from India's flagship AI Impact Summit hours before he was due to deliver a keynote address on Thursday, as renewed scrutiny over his past association with late financier Jeffrey Epstein intensified following the release of U.S. Justice Department files.
The last-minute cancellation dealt a setback to a high-profile gathering that New Delhi has promoted as a defining moment in its ambition to shape global artificial intelligence governance.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said the decision was taken after "careful consideration" to ensure attention remained on the summit's priorities. Ankur Vora, who leads the foundation's Africa and India offices, spoke in Gates's place. Gates has previously said meeting Epstein was a mistake and confined to philanthropic discussions. He has not been accused of wrongdoing.
The summit, inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, has nonetheless secured more than $200 billion in investment pledges. Billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani committed $110 billion to expand India's AI ecosystem, while major technology firms outlined infrastructure and research partnerships.
Among prominent speakers, Sam Altman urged urgent but balanced AI regulation, warning against concentration of power in a single company or country. Sundar Pichai highlighted plans for an AI hub in Visakhapatnam, underscoring India's expanding role in the sector. Dario Amodei signalled interest in collaborating with India on safety testing of advanced models.
In his address, Modi called for safeguards to protect children online and pressed for technology-sharing to ensure AI empowers the Global South. Macron echoed the appeal for cooperation, urging nations to move from "doing more" to "doing better together".
Despite headline investment figures, the multi-day summit has faced criticism over logistical disruptions and organisational lapses, tempering what organisers had hoped would be an unqualified diplomatic and technological triumph.
