AI Summit: Amid Epstein link buzz, Gates Foundation says Microsoft founder to deliver keynote

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is reportedly not on the list of speakers at the AI Impact Summit.

A report by News18 says that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), which has organised the summit, invited Gates to be one of the speakers. However, his name no longer appears on the official website of AI Impact Summit.

However, a spokesperson of the Gates Foundation has confirmed that Gates will be attending the summit and delivering his keynote address as per schedule.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said, “I will not comment on who is attending and who is not; it is a personal choice. If someone wants to come, they can and if they don’t want to, they can do that also.”

The development comes as Gates is facing flak over his name finding mention in the Epstein files , which has triggered a huge controversy over the billionaire’s links with Jeffrey Epstein, a sex offender.

Andhra protests Gates’ arrival

Gates arrived in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh on Monday where he was received by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. His arrival in India was met with criticism over the Epstein files. Many also accused him of “treating India like a lab” for his products.

Gates visited the state secretariat to hold talks on deepening collaboration in health, agriculture, education, and technology-led governance initiatives.

Earlier, ANI had also reported that Gates was scheduled to participate at the AI Impact Summit.

Gates’ links with Epstein

The latest release of the Epstein files revealed that the Microsoft founder hid a sexually transmitted disease he contracted from “Russian girls”, invoking a strong and emotional rebuttal from his wife, Melinda.

Meanwhile, the  Microsoft co-founder’s spokesperson  dismissed the claims, calling them “absolutely absurd and completely false”. “The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame,” the spokesperson said.

Gates has addressed the allegations directly, dismissing them as “false.” He suggested the claims, stemming from a 2013 email written by Epstein, might have been an attempt at defamation or extortion. The email allegedly claimed that Gates tried to secretly administer antibiotics to his then-wife, Melinda, fearing she had also been infected.

Gates disputed the legitimacy of the message, stating, “Apparently, Jeffrey wrote an email to himself. That email was never sent. The email is false.”