Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Thursday cancelled his keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi, with his philanthropic organisation saying he wanted to ensure that the event remained focussed on artificial intelligence.
The Gates Foundation said in a statement that the decision had been taken “after careful consideration” and “to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities”.
The foundation’s comment about the focus not remaining on artificial intelligence if Gates speaks has been interpreted by some as a reference to the Microsoft co-founder being named in the Epstein files.
The foundation will be represented by Ankur Vora, the president of its India and Africa offices, who will speak at the event on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron and executives of several major technology companies such as Google and Open AI, are scheduled to speak about the threats and opportunities relating to artificial intelligence.
The summit, which began on Monday and will end on Friday, is being promoted as the first major gathering on artificial intelligence in the Global South. Twenty world leaders, officials from major technology companies and exhibitors from 30 countries are attending the event.
The “Epstein files” refer to millions of documents, emails, photos and videos released by the US Department of Justice detailing the activities of Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier and convicted child sex offender, and his social circle that included politicians, celebrities and several public figures.
The latest tranche of documents released by the United States Department of Justice in January contained a draft email in which Epstein alleged, among other things, that Gates was involved in extramarital affairs.
Speaking to Australian TV channel 9News, Gates on February 4 denied the allegations, but said that he regrets coming into contact with Epstein.
This came after his former wife said that Gates still had questions to answer about his relationship with Epstein.
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