Bill Gates to attend AI Impact Summit, will deliver keynote as scheduled, Gates Foundation confirms

The AI summit also coincides with Gates' visit to India.

• Bill Gates to deliver keynote at AI Impact Summit as scheduled
• Gates praised India's leadership in AI and digital revolution
• PM Modi inaugurated the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam

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Bill Gates will attend the AI Impact Summit and deliver his keynote address as scheduled, the Gates Foundation confirmed Tuesday afternoon.

"India is a global leader in artificial intelligence, powered by one of the world’s largest AI talent pools, rapid adoption across sectors, and innovation at population scale," it further noted.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, AI has become central to India’s vision of Viksit Bharat, driving inclusive growth and responsible innovation. India’s distinctive public-private model, bringing together government, startups, academia, and industry, is proving that AI can be built for impact, for inclusion, and for the world," also stated the Foundation.

Bill Gates is attending the AI Impact Summit. He will be delivering his keynote as scheduled. India is a global leader in artificial intelligence, powered by one of the world’s largest AI talent pools, rapid adoption across sectors, and innovation at population scale. Under the… pic.twitter.com/e3v8wXHBXA

— Gates Foundation India (@BMGFIndia) February 17, 2026

The clarification comes after reports suggested that Gates was not attending the summit, citing his name being missing from the event’s "Global Visionaries" list. Government sources had earlier indicated that he would not be part of the gathering due to "unavoidable reasons".

Separately, chipmaker Nvidia had announced that its CEO Jensen Huang would not travel to India for the summit, despite being billed as a key attraction.

Notably, the summit also coincides with Gates' visit to India. During a trip to Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh, Gates met Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and interacted with ministers and officials.

According to a release from the Andhra Pradesh government, Gates said India was ahead in the digital revolution and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Naidu for playing a key role in driving technological adoption.

“India is ahead in the digital revolution and both the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister are playing a key role in it,” the release quoted Gates as saying.

He also praised Andhra Pradesh’s use of technology in agriculture, health and disaster management, noting that even developed countries had not integrated technology into farming to the same extent. Gates appreciated the Sanjeevani health project being implemented in Kuppam with support from the Gates Foundation.

The AI Impact Summit 2026, being held at Bharat Mandapam, was inaugurated by PM Modi. The event is aimed at advancing responsible and inclusive artificial intelligence under the IndiaAI Mission and the Digital India initiative.

The summit has brought together policymakers, technology firms, academia and industry leaders to explore how global AI discussions can translate into development outcomes.