By Nils Adler
Publication Date: 2026-02-19 10:45:00
Microsoft founder Bill Gates canceled his keynote address at India’s flagship AI summit just hours before he was scheduled to appear on Thursday.
Gates, who has faced renewed scrutiny over his past ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, withdrew to “ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities,” the Gates Foundation said in a statement.
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The five-day India AI Impact Summit 2026 was intended to showcase India’s ambitions in this booming sector. The country expects to attract more than $200 billion in investments over the next two years.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had seen the summit as an opportunity for India to shape the future of AI, attracting high-profile participants including French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Instead, there has been constant controversy, from Gates’ abrupt departure to an incident in which an Indian university attempted to issue a…