New Delhi, India – Web Desk: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has withdrawn from delivering a keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, his philanthropic organisation confirmed.
The Gates Foundation said the decision was taken after “careful consideration” to ensure the summit’s priorities remain in focus, without providing further details. Gates was scheduled to be one of the event’s key speakers.
His withdrawal comes as recently released U.S. Justice Department documents have revived public attention to his past contacts with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in a U.S. jail in 2019. A spokesperson for Gates said the allegations are unfounded and that he has not been involved in any illegal activity.
Instead, Ankur Vohra, president for Africa and India at the Gates Foundation, will address the summit. The organisation reiterated its commitment to ongoing work in India in health, education, and development sectors.
The five-day AI summit has drawn representatives from more than 100 countries. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron have delivered speeches emphasising the need to make artificial intelligence accessible worldwide.
The summit is part of India’s broader push to position itself as a global hub for artificial intelligence, though early sessions have seen logistical challenges and minor controversies.
