THIS US tech CEO missed AI Summit gala hosted by PM Modi after four hours in Delhi traffic. Who is she?

An American technology executive was unable to attend a high-profile dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after being stuck in severe traffic congestion near the venue in Delhi. Sara Hooker, co-founder and CEO of Adaption Labs, posted on social media that she spent nearly four hours trying to reach Bharat Mandapam for the gala event before ultimately giving up and heading back to her hotel. Instead of attending the dinner with the Prime Minister, she ended her evening with room service.

Hooker explained that after participating in multiple sessions at the India AI Impact Summit earlier in the day, she briefly returned to her hotel to change clothes for the formal dinner. She had swapped her casual jeans for gala attire in preparation for the exclusive gathering of global tech leaders and VIP delegates. However, her plans were derailed by the heavy traffic around the venue. In a post on X, she shared that despite receiving an invitation to the prestigious dinner, the gridlock prevented her from making it back in time. After hours of waiting in traffic, she decided to turn around and head back to the hotel.

Also Read: Ancient wisdom, future tech: Meet youngest keynote speaker Ranvir Sachdeva at India AI Summit

Watch Sara Hooker's post on X here

Later that night, she posted a photo of the Indian meal she ordered at her hotel, noting that while she would have appreciated attending the event, she was equally grateful to finally sit down to a late dinner at 11 pm. Hooker was not alone in facing difficulties. Several other attendees reported major disruptions around Bharat Mandapam, where roads were closed for VIP movement. With nearby Metro access suspended and taxis restricted from approaching the venue, many guests were left walking long distances to find transportation.

The situation triggered significant frustration among participants, many of whom voiced their concerns online. The congestion also caused extended traffic jams in central Delhi, with some motorists resorting to crossing road dividers unlawfully in an attempt to bypass the standstill.

Who is Sara Hooker?

Sara Hooker is a computer scientist specialising in artificial intelligence, with a focus on model efficiency at scale, large language models, and research on algorithmic bias and fairness in machine learning. In 2025, she co-founded Adaption, a startup dedicated to building AI systems capable of continuous real-time learning and efficient adaptation.

Before this, she served as Vice President of Research at Cohere, where she led the company’s research division, Cohere For AI. During her tenure, she launched the Cohere For AI Scholars Program to support emerging researchers in the field. In recognition of her impact, she was named one of AI’s Top 13 Innovators by Fortune in 2023 and was included in Time’s 2024 list of the most influential people in AI.