Bill Gates Cancels AI Summit Keynote Amid Renewed Scrutiny Over Epstein Ties

New Delhi, India – Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has withdrawn from delivering his keynote at the AI Impact Summit in India, as newly released documents linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have reignited public scrutiny of his past interactions with the late financier.

The Gates Foundation confirmed Thursday that Gates would no longer address the summit “to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities,” but offered no further explanation for the abrupt cancellation. Gates was scheduled to speak just hours before the announcement.

Epstein Files Spark Controversy

The decision comes after draft emails from 2013, recently made public by the U.S. Justice Department as part of its Epstein files release, suggested Epstein claimed to have facilitated sexual encounters for Gates and helped him conceal a sexually transmitted infection from his wife. The emails, addressed from Epstein to himself, have not been verified.

Gates has categorically denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations “absolutely absurd and completely false.” A Gates representative said the documents merely illustrate Epstein’s “frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates” and emphasized that Gates had no involvement in any illegal activities.

“I regret every minute I spent with him,” Gates told CNN-affiliate Nine News in Australia. “I was only at dinners. I never went to the island. I never met any women. The time with him was a mistake, but it had nothing to do with that kind of behavior.”

Summit Continues Without Gates

The AI Impact Summit, one of the largest AI conferences in the Global South, was inaugurated Thursday by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gates had been in India this week and met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu earlier in the week, expressing gratitude for the warm welcome.

The Gates Foundation said Ankur Vora, President of Africa and India Offices, would represent the organization at the summit in Gates’ place.

Gates’ Ongoing Efforts and Public Perception

Despite the controversy, Gates remains active in philanthropic and technological circles, particularly in AI development. The release of Epstein-linked documents has raised fresh questions about Gates’ judgment in past associations, but he continues to reject all allegations of sexual misconduct.

The summit now faces the challenge of proceeding without its headline speaker, amid international attention on Gates’ historical ties to Epstein.