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AI Summit 2026: A fleeting moment captured during the group photograph at the India AI Impact Summit has reignited interest in one of Silicon Valley’s most closely observed rivalries. During a group photo with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sam Altman and Dario Amodei, the CEOs of OpenAI and Anthropic respectively, notably refrained from holding hands, instead choosing to raise their fists.

This awkward moment was caught on camera and swiftly went viral on X, sparking memes and commentary. For those familiar with the history between the two men and their companies, the moment felt less like an unexpected incident and more like a symbolic snapshot of the division and rivalry within the AI sector.

VIDEO: What Happened On Global Stage

At the opening of the India AI Impact Summit at Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam on Thursday, several global tech leaders posed for a group photo with PM Modi. Altman and Amodei, standing side by side, were among those expected to clasp hands in the tradition of the moment.

As the cameras clicked, PM Modi held the hands of Sundar Pichai and Altman and encouraged them to raise their arms. However, when it came to Altman and Amodei, there was no handclasp. Instead, they both paused, exchanging a brief moment of uncertainty before laughing it off and opting to raise their fists. The moment did not escape attention, and soon videos of the scene circulated across the internet, with many noting the awkwardness in light of the fierce competition between their respective companies.

The two leaders at the forefront of generative AI, once colleagues, now heading rival companies. When asked about the incident in a closed-door meeting with reporters, Altman stated that he didn’t know what had happened. The OpenAI CEO admitted to being “confused,” adding that PM Modi “grabbed my hand and put it up.”

“I wasn’t sure what we were supposed to be doing,” he added.

From Colleagues To Rivals: What's the Backstory? 

The rivalry between Altman and Amodei goes back to 2021. Amodei had been Vice President of Research at OpenAI and played a pivotal role in the development of large language models. However, in early 2021, he left OpenAI, along with several senior researchers, including his sister Daniela Amodei, to found Anthropic.

In a 2023 interview with Fortune, Amodei explained that his departure was a result of “directional differences.” He felt that simply scaling up models with more computational power and data was not enough. According to Hindustan Times, Amodei argued that AI needed more than just scaling; it required better alignment and safety to ensure its long-term ethical use.

“You can’t teach models their values just by adding more compute,” he said.

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OpenAI vs Anthropic

OpenAI rose to global prominence with the release of ChatGPT in 2022, bringing cutting-edge AI tools to millions of users worldwide. Under Altman’s leadership, OpenAI has aggressively pursued product launches, partnerships with enterprises, and global expansion.

Anthropic, in contrast, markets itself as a research-driven company focused on AI safety. Its flagship chatbot, Claude, is built around the idea of “constitutional AI,” a framework that aims to guide AI behaviour by following a set of structured principles designed to ensure safety and ethical use.

ALSO READ: 'Was Sort Of Confused': OpenAI's Altman On Viral Onstage Moment With Anthropic CEO Amodei At AI Summit

While Anthropic has grown rapidly and secured significant investments, it has positioned itself as being more cautious than OpenAI, focusing on alignment, governance, and managing long-term risks associated with AI.


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