Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates withdrew from delivering his scheduled keynote address at India’s AI Impact Summit just hours before he was due to speak, organisers confirmed on Friday.
In a statement, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said the decision was taken “to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities.” The foundation did not directly address whether the move was connected to renewed attention surrounding Mr Gates’ past meetings with late financier Jeffrey Epstein, following the recent release of emails by the United States Department of Justice.
Mr Gates has previously stated that his interactions with Epstein were limited to discussions related to philanthropy and described the meetings as a mistake.
His absence came shortly after another high-profile cancellation by Jensen Huang, chief executive of Nvidia. The two withdrawals marked setbacks for the six-day summit, which has been promoted as a major AI forum for the Global South.
Despite the disruptions, the event secured more than US$200 billion in AI-related investment commitments. Among the largest announcements was a US$110 billion infrastructure plan by Reliance Industries. Meanwhile, Tata Group signed a partnership agreement with OpenAI.
The summit also drew global technology leaders, including OpenAI chief Sam Altman, Sundar Pichai of Google, and Dario Amodei of Anthropic.
In his keynote address, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the need for responsible AI governance and stronger protections for children online. He described AI as a transformative force that must be guided by ethical frameworks and inclusive principles.
The summit formally launched the New Delhi Frontier AI Commitments, a voluntary set of guidelines adopted by participating firms to promote responsible development of advanced AI systems.
However, the event faced logistical challenges. Exhibition halls were temporarily closed to the public, and traffic restrictions for VIP movements led to congestion in parts of New Delhi. Organisers later apologised for the inconvenience caused during the early days of the summit.
While the withdrawals of prominent speakers drew attention, the conference concluded its initial sessions with substantial investment announcements and renewed discussion on India’s ambitions to play a larger role in global AI governance.
