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Bill Gates withdrew from India’s AI Impact Summit just hours before his scheduled keynote address, dealing a major setback to the high-profile artificial intelligence event in New Delhi. The Gates Foundation confirmed that the Microsoft co-founder would not attend, stating the decision was made “to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities.” Only days earlier, the foundation had dismissed speculation about his absence.
Gates’ cancellation follows a challenging start for the AI Impact Summit, which was promoted as the first major artificial intelligence forum in the Global South. India has positioned the event as a platform to strengthen its leadership in global AI governance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is still expected to speak, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has also pulled out, adding to the list of notable absences.
The development comes after the U.S. Department of Justice released emails referencing communication between the late Jeffrey Epstein and staff at the Gates Foundation. The documents indicate Gates met Epstein multiple times after Epstein’s prison term to discuss philanthropic initiatives. Gates has previously stated that the meetings were focused solely on philanthropy and acknowledged that engaging with Epstein was a mistake.
Beyond high-profile cancellations, the AI summit has faced criticism over organizational lapses and logistical chaos. Exhibition halls were unexpectedly closed to the public, frustrating attendees. A university stall was shut down after a commercially available Chinese robotic dog was allegedly presented as an original innovation. Traffic disruptions across central Delhi, road closures for VIP movement, and limited transportation options further fueled complaints on social media.
Despite its ambitious vision to highlight India’s growing role in artificial intelligence and technology leadership, the AI Impact Summit has struggled with negative headlines that may overshadow its broader goals.
