Gates’ absence followed another high-profile cancellation by Jensen Huang, compounding challenges for the summit, billed as the Global South’s inaugural AI forum where India aims to assert itself as a leading voice in international AI governance. The Gates Foundation stated the decision was intended “to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities,” a reversal from earlier assurances that he would attend.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the gathering alongside Emmanuel Macron, Sundar Pichai, Sam Altman, and Dario Amodei, emphasizing children’s safety in AI platforms. “We must be even more vigilant about children’s safety. Just as a school syllabus is curated, the AI space should also be child- and family-guided,” Modi said.
The summit, however, has been overshadowed by organisational failures. Roads were repeatedly closed to prioritize VIP movements, causing massive traffic snarls in a city of 20 million. Social media footage showed attendees walking long distances due to the lack of taxis or shuttle services. Opposition parties criticized the government, with Pawan Khera, Congress spokesperson, asking, “How can you expect your engineers, AI guys to walk such distances… And then we complain that entrepreneurs are leaving India?”
Exhibition halls were unexpectedly closed to the public on Thursday, frustrating companies that had invested in stalls and pavilions. Indian university Galgotias University faced public backlash after presenting a commercially available Chinese robotic dog as its own creation.
Gates’ withdrawal also comes in the wake of renewed scrutiny of his past contacts with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, which Gates has described as limited to philanthropic discussions.
Despite the disruptions, investment pledges at the summit exceed $100 billion, with contributions from the Adani Group, Microsoft Corporation, and Yotta Data Centers. The Indian government projects total pledges to surpass $200 billion within two years, though analysts warn rapid expansion could strain the country’s power grid and water supply.