Gates had been slated to serve as one of the key speakers in a segment dedicated to artificial intelligence, its role in social development, and public-private partnerships. However, the Gates Foundation confirmed that he would not deliver the keynote “to ensure the focus remains on the [summit’s] key priorities,” without providing further details.
No official reason for the cancellation was disclosed, and both organizers and foundation representatives limited their statements to general remarks. Earlier, speculation circulated in media and on social platforms about possible contextual factors surrounding Gates, but none of those claims were confirmed by his foundation as the cause of his withdrawal.
Gates was not the only prominent speaker to pull out. Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, also canceled his participation in panels scheduled for the summit, further highlighting logistical concerns reported by attendees.
The AI summit is considered one of the most significant global technology events of the year, drawing heads of state and leaders of major tech companies. Remaining speakers include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron, Sundar Pichai of Google, and Sam Altman of OpenAI.
Some commentators note that the withdrawals come amid organizational criticism of the conference, with participants reporting issues such as traffic congestion, logistical shortcomings, and other operational difficulties.