(Image Credit: ANI)
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who was set to play a major role in the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, has been the subject of controversy as a result of a new wave of public attention associated with leaked Jeffrey Epstein files. It is reported that Gates had visited Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh and was received by ministers and officials of the state, including IT minister Nara Lokesh and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, even before the summit.
The trip also involved discussions on the deepening of cooperation in the fields of health, education, agriculture, and technologies, which are the results of the long standing cooperation between the Gates Foundation and Indian initiatives. Nevertheless, his reception in India has been accompanied by criticism as his name has been featured in recently released records of Epstein, the convicted sex offender, with this being seen as dubious and spearheaded on social media as well as in politics.
His name, however, was not listed among the ‘Global Visionaries’ on the summit’s official website. But after few hours, spokesperson from Bill Gates Foundation said he would be attending and will be at AI Summit.
Even though Gates was initially confirmed to be present with other world tech leaders including Sundar Pichai and Sam Altman at the India AI Impact Summit, the premier event in the global south to discuss artificial intelligence, there has been a shift in listings of official attendees, which has been the subject of speculation and debate as to whether he was added or removed in the wake of the controversy. It is the summit that is taking place between February 16 and 20 and is focused on placing India as the center of AI policy and innovation in the world, having attracted hundreds of international participants and dozens of industry heavy hitters.
The Epstein files published by the US Department of Justice earlier this year, which contain millions of documents and images, do contain references to Gates in draft notes that have been widely disseminated on the internet, but experts say that being included in the files does not mean misconduct and Gates has denied any misconduct. The critics who mention these files have exaggerated his visit and attendance to high profile events such as the AI summit, and those in his support and official sources emphasize his philanthropic and technological input.
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