Bill Gates India AI Impact Summit 2026: Microsoft founder Bill Gates will no longer attend the upcoming India AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, according to media reports. The government is said to have reviewed his invitation after his name was mentioned in the Epstein Files. The government wishes to “stand with the survivors,” as per NDTV reports.
In a significant last-minute change to the event’s lineup, Bill Gates will no longer be part of the India AI Impact Summit, a development that comes amid renewed online backlash over references to his name in documents linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Earlier this week, Gates had arrived in Amaravati ahead of the AI Impact Summit 2026 and was scheduled to address the gathering on February 19.
As Chair of the Gates Foundation, he had been listed among the summit’s key global participants and was expected to take part in high-level discussions on artificial intelligence policy and inclusive technology innovation during the two-day event at Bharat Mandapam from February 19 to 20.
However, his name has now quietly disappeared from the official “Global Visionaries” roster on the summit’s website, and a search for his profile on the speakers’ page returns the message: “No speakers found matching your criteria.”
Meanwhile, Microsoft founder and Gates Foundation Chairman Bill Gates on Tuesday praised Andhra Pradesh’s rapid progress, saying it was encouraging to see the state using AI and technology to speed up development. After visiting Amaravati, Gates said he was impressed by the southern state’s innovations in key sectors such as health, agriculture and education.
