Bill Gates Withdraws from India AI Summit Amid Epstein Scrutiny

Alanbatnews -

Bill Gates has withdrawn from a major artificial intelligence summit in India, just hours before his scheduled keynote address, amid intensifying scrutiny of his past relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to reports.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced Gates' last-minute decision, citing a need to ensure focus on the summit's key priorities.

The withdrawal follows the recent release of emails by the U.S. Department of Justice detailing communications between Epstein and Gates' foundation staff.

Gates had previously described his interactions with Epstein as limited to discussions about philanthropy and acknowledged that the association was a mistake.

The summit, which included participation from global leaders such as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, suffered another setback with the absence of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

The sudden pullout by the Microsoft founder delivered a blow to the AI summit, already marred by organizational confusion and traffic congestion, according to Reuters.

The Gates Foundation had initially refuted rumors of Gates' absence, confirming his participation just days prior to the event.

India aims to solidify its position as a leading voice in global AI governance, making the summit a key forum for these discussions.