Bill Gates Withdraws from Keynote at India AI Impact Summit
The Gates Foundation said the decision came after “careful consideration” and was intended “to ensure the focus remains on the [summit's] key priorities,” without offering further explanation.
Gates’s withdrawal follows renewed scrutiny over his past connections with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after his name appeared in newly released files from the US Department of Justice in January. His spokesperson described the claims as “absolutely absurd and completely false,” and Gates himself has expressed regret over having spent time with Epstein.
He has not been accused of any wrongdoing by Epstein’s victims, and his appearance in the files does not imply criminal activity.
The Foundation announced that Ankur Vora, president of its Africa and India offices, will speak in Gates’s place. The organization emphasized it remains “fully committed” to advancing “shared health and development goals” in India.
Gates had been in India earlier this week, visiting Andhra Pradesh on Monday to discuss initiatives in health, agriculture, education, and technology. There had been several days of uncertainty over whether he would appear at the summit, with his foundation initially stating on Tuesday that he would deliver the address as planned.
Although Gates’s absence is a setback for India’s flagship AI event, other high-profile speakers remain on the roster for Thursday, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.
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