Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and a leading global philanthropist, withdrew from delivering his scheduled keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi just hours before he was set to speak. The Gates Foundation issued a statement saying the decision was made “to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities,” and Ankur Vora, president of the foundation’s Africa and India offices, delivered the address in his place. Gates had been initially confirmed and was in India ahead of the event, which was designed to position India as a hub for artificial intelligence development and governance.

The sudden cancellation came amid heightened scrutiny over Gates’s past interactions with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after recently released U.S. Justice Department documents included emails involving Gates Foundation staff and Epstein. Although Gates denies any impropriety and says he regretted associating with Epstein, the controversy drew significant attention in Indian media and public debate in the lead-up to the summit. Some commentators linked the timing of his withdrawal to that controversy, even as summit organizers and Indian officials did not directly tie the decision to the Epstein files.


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Bill Gates cancels AI summit keynote address amid scrutiny over Epstein links | CNN