NEW DELHI – Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates withdrew from India’s AI Impact Summit on Thursday, just hours before his scheduled keynote, amid renewed scrutiny over his past association with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Gates’ abrupt cancellation came following the release of U.S. Justice Department emails revealing communications between Epstein and Gates Foundation staff.
Read More: Bill Gates withdraws from India AI summit amid chaos, criticism
The Gates Foundation stated that the withdrawal was “to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities.” Chief Strategy Officer Ankur Vora spoke in Gates’ place. The billionaire has previously said his interactions with Epstein were limited to philanthropy and regretted meeting him.
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Despite the disruption, the six-day summit reported more than $200 billion in investment commitments for AI infrastructure. Reliance Industries announced a $110 billion plan, while Tata Group signed a partnership deal with OpenAI. The event also saw French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi deliver keynote addresses, emphasizing responsible AI development and child safety online.
The summit, billed as India’s first major AI forum in the Global South, was, however, marred by organisational challenges. Exhibition halls were unexpectedly closed to the public, a university faced criticism for misrepresenting a robotic dog, and traffic disruptions frustrated attendees. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had also cancelled his participation earlier in the week.
During the event, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei took part in the launch of the New Delhi Frontier AI Commitments, a set of voluntary principles promoting responsible AI development.
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Observers say that while the summit highlighted India’s ambition to be a global AI leader, organisational lapses and high-profile absences overshadowed key discussions and investments, prompting criticism from attendees and opposition political parties.