During the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, an unexpected and slightly awkward moment unfolded on stage involving OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei as global technology leaders gathered for a group photograph with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While most participants joined hands and raised them in a symbolic gesture of unity, Altman and Amodei appeared uncertain about how to respond, eventually lifting their fists instead.
The incident took place at Bharat Mandapam shortly after the summit’s opening ceremony, where several prominent figures from the global technology sector joined the Prime Minister on stage for a photo opportunity. Among those present were Sundar Pichai, Meta’s Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, Sarvam co-founder Pratyush Kumar, and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis. Modi stood at the centre of the group, with Pichai positioned to his right and Altman to his left, while Amodei stood next to Altman.
As photographers captured the moment, the Prime Minister and several leaders clasped hands and raised them together, signalling cooperation and shared purpose in advancing artificial intelligence initiatives. Altman and Amodei, however, appeared momentarily unsure of the expected gesture. With cameras flashing and the moment unfolding quickly, both ultimately raised their fists rather than joining hands with the others.
Later in the day, Altman addressed the moment during the summit’s inaugural session, explaining that he had been confused about what was happening on stage. He said he was uncertain about the intended gesture when Modi lifted his hand and admitted that he did not immediately understand what participants were supposed to do, leading to the awkward visual captured in photographs and videos.
The interaction drew additional attention because of the professional history between the two executives. Altman, aged 40, and Amodei, 43, previously worked together at OpenAI before Amodei departed the company in 2019. The following year, Amodei, along with his sister Daniela and several senior researchers, left amid disagreements over the organisation’s strategic direction and later co-founded Anthropic.
Since then, OpenAI and Anthropic have evolved into major competitors within the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence industry, with rivalry extending into both technological development and commercial positioning. The competitive dynamic has occasionally surfaced publicly, including Anthropic’s satirical Super Bowl advertisements that referenced and mocked reports suggesting OpenAI might introduce advertising features into ChatGPT.
