Gates, facing questions over his ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, withdrew just hours before his speech to "ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities", the Gates Foundation said. The AI Impact Summit is the fourth annual international gathering focused on the rapidly advancing field, following previous summits in Paris, Seoul and Britain's wartime code-breaking hub Bletchley. Another Gates Foundation official will take the place of Gates, who said this month he regrets "every minute" he spent with Epstein. Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is in town to attend the AI summit and hold talks with Modi, including on rare earths. Some say the broad focus of the event and vague promises made at previous global AI summits mean that concrete commitments are unlikely.

Source: The Star February 19, 2026 10:25 UTC