Bill Gates pulls out of AI Impact Summit, foundation clarifies why
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates will not be speaking at the India AI Impact Summit being held at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi, the Gates Foundation said on Thursday. The Gates Foundation clarified on Thursday that Ankur Vora, head of its Africa and India office, will be speaking at the summit in Bill Gates' place.
"After extensive deliberation and in order to maintain focus on the key priorities of the AI Summit, Gates will not deliver his keynote address. The Gates Foundation will be represented by Ankur Vora, President of the Africa and India Offices, who will address the Summit later on Thursday," the foundation wrote on social media platform X.
Reiterating its commitment to its ongoing initiatives in India, the Gates Foundation wrote, "We remain fully committed to our work in India to advance shared health and development goals." The Gates Foundation's statement came amid controversy surrounding his name allegedly appearing in the Epstein files. The clarification came after days of speculation and uncertainty when Gates' name was not included in the official list of key participants for the six-day summit, raising questions about his participation.
The 'India AI Impact Summit 2026' aims to formulate collaborative strategies to harness the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence, while also fostering innovation, responsible governance and cross-border partnerships.
The summit brings together global leaders, policymakers and technology experts to discuss the potential of artificial intelligence to drive economic growth, improve governance and accelerate social development.
The event aims to align global AI initiatives with India's civilizational spirit of "Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya," and promote the principle of "AI for Humanity." The India-AI Impact Summit 2026 is the fourth edition of the series. Previous events were held in the United Kingdom in 2023, South Korea in 2024, and France in 2025.