Bill Gates has canceled his planned keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, with the Gates Foundation confirming the change just hours before he was due to speak.
The late decision drew wide attention because it came as Gates faces fresh public scrutiny over past connections to Jeffrey Epstein, a focus that several outlets said has intensified after the recent release of U.S. Justice Department emails involving communications between Epstein and Gates Foundation staff.
What the Foundation Said
In its statement, the Gates Foundation said Gates would not deliver the keynote in order to keep attention on the summit’s main objectives and priorities.
Reports said the foundation did not provide additional details about why the keynote was called off beyond that message about maintaining focus.
Timing and Context
Reuters reported that the foundation announced Gates would not attend the AI summit in New Delhi on Thursday, where he had been scheduled to give the keynote.
CNN and The Guardian reported the cancellation was communicated on the morning of the planned appearance, and both described it as coming only hours before he was expected to go on stage.
Epstein Scrutiny in the Spotlight
CNN, NBC News, and The New York Times linked the decision to heightened scrutiny about Gates’s ties to Epstein, noting the renewed attention following the release of Justice Department emails that included communications involving Epstein and Gates Foundation staff.
NBC News said the foundation had recently pushed back on speculation about whether Gates would attend, and that the cancellation still came abruptly, despite earlier indications that he was expected to appear.
What It Means for the Summit
NBC News described Gates’s withdrawal as another setback for a high-profile summit that it said had already faced organizational issues, a robotics-related controversy, and complaints about traffic disruptions.
Even with those issues, NBC News reported the six-day gathering had still secured more than $200 billion in commitments aimed at AI infrastructure development in India.
The Guardian reported the summit’s program includes other major technology figures and officials, naming OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and White House AI adviser Sriram Krishnan among expected speakers.
Who Will Represent the Gates Foundation
The Guardian reported the Gates Foundation said it remains committed to its work on health and development in India, and that Ankur Vora, president of its Africa and India operations, would represent the foundation at the summit.
CNN reported Gates had been in India during the week leading up to the summit and referenced a public post about a meeting with N. Chandrababu Naidu, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.
