Bill Gates will no longer speak at India’s AI Impact Summit in Delhi
The decision was announced by the Gates Foundation just hours before he was expected to deliver a keynote address at the AI Summit in India.
The foundation said the choice was made after “careful consideration” to keep the focus on the summit’s main goals. It did not give more details.
Gates’ withdrawal comes after new files released by the US Department of Justice in January mentioned his past meetings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
A spokesperson for Gates said the claims are “false and absurd.” Gates has previously said he regrets spending time with Epstein. He has not been accused of any crime yet though.
The foundation said Ankur Vora who is the current president of the Gate Foundation’s Africa and India offices, will speak instead. It added that the organisation remains committed to its work in India.
The AI summit is a major event aimed at showing India as a global AI leader. It includes discussions on AI rules, innovation, and investment.
Several world leaders and technology executives are attending, including Narendra Modi and Emmanuel Macron.
Gates’ absence is seen as a setback for the event, but the summit continues with global leaders and tech companies discussing the future of AI.
