Bill Gates to Skip India AI Summit Amid Epstein Files Controversy

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates will not attend a major artificial intelligence (AI) summit in India, where he was scheduled to deliver a keynote address, following controversy linked to the recently released Epstein files.

The decision was confirmed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which said the move was made to ensure that priority issues at the summit remain the focus. The foundation did not provide further details.

Last month, the United States Department of Justice released hundreds of thousands of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Gates’ name appeared in the records, prompting speculation that the controversy influenced his decision to withdraw from the event.

A spokesperson for Gates described claims centered on him in the files as baseless. Gates himself has previously expressed regret over spending time with Epstein. No accusations of wrongdoing have been filed against him, and inclusion in the documents does not imply criminal liability.

The Gates Foundation said that Ankur Vora, president of Microsoft’s Africa and India offices, will speak at the summit in Gates’ place. The foundation reaffirmed its commitment to advancing shared goals in health and development in India.

Despite Gates’ absence, prominent global tech leaders attended the summit. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, participated in Thursday’s sessions.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron also addressed the summit, both calling for a coordinated and responsible approach to AI innovation.

The development highlights how ongoing legal and political controversies in the United States are reverberating internationally, even at high-profile technology events.