Billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates abruptly canceled his keynote speech at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. The decision came just hours before he was set to address a high-profile audience, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The Gates Foundation stated the withdrawal was intended to “ensure the focus remains on the summit’s key priorities,” though the move follows intense renewed scrutiny over Gates’ past ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Bill Gates pulled out of India’s AI Impact Summit hours before his scheduled keynote address on February 19, dealing another blow to a flagship event already marred by organizational lapses, a robot bungle and delegate complaints over traffic disruptions https://t.co/XwS4Rap9om
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 19, 2026
The controversy escalated following the late-January release of millions of pages of Epstein files, which included a draft email from Epstein alleging Gates had hidden a health issue from his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates. While Gates has denied these specific claims as “false” and expressed deep regret over his association with Epstein, the fallout has proved a significant distraction. Melinda French Gates recently told NPR that “those questions are for my ex-husband,” noting the pain the revelations have caused.
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Despite the absence of Gates, the summit continued with a focus on narrowing the digital divide. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a $3 billion global fund to ensure AI technology remains accessible to all, rather than being controlled by a few tech titans. The event also featured former UK PM Rishi Sunak, now an advisor for Anthropic, who urged world leaders to take personal charge of AI integration.
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