Clenched fists, not handshakes: What happened between OpenAI and Anthropic CEOs at India’s AI Summit?

NEW DELHI:  A seemingly small moment at the India AI Impact Summit on February 19 has sparked outsized global attention. During a high-profile group photo with India’s premier Narendra Modi, two of the most influential figures in artificial intelligence, Sam Altman and Dario Amodei, broke from a symbolic gesture of unity.

While other tech leaders formed a human chain, Altman and Amodei stood apart, each raising a clenched fist.

The brief, awkward exchange quickly went viral. Online, it was framed as more than a photo mishap; many saw it as a visual symbol of the growing rivalry between OpenAI and Anthropic.

Rivalry years

The tension between the two CEOs did not emerge overnight. Amodei, once a senior leader at OpenAI, left in 2021 over disagreements about the company’s direction. His core concern: that AI development was moving too fast without sufficient focus on safety.

He later founded Anthropic with a mission to build “safer” AI systems.

Altman, on the other hand, has pushed aggressively toward scaling and deploying AI technologies globally, a strategy that has made OpenAI a dominant force but also a lightning rod for criticism.

Public conflict

In recent weeks, the rivalry has become more public, though the conflict continued in subtle ways.

Anthropic’s Super Bowl ads in early 2026 included messaging widely interpreted as critiques of competitors’ transparency and ethics. Though no names were mentioned, Altman responded sharply, calling the campaign “dishonest.”

He also aimed Anthropic’s positioning, suggesting its products cater primarily to elite users, a remark that further intensified the back-and-forth.

Summit moment

At the centre of the controversy is the now-viral image where two CEOs, side by side, decline to join a symbolic gesture of unity.

OpenAI’s Altman later downplayed the incident, saying it was confusion in the moment. According to him, PM Modi initiated a gesture to raise hands, and it was unclear whether participants were expected to hold hands or simply lift them.

That explanation, however, has done little to quiet speculation.

For many observers, the incident reflects a deeper divide shaping the AI industry today, one often described as a race between speed and safety.

On one side are companies prioritising rapid innovation and deployment. On the other hand are those urging caution, governance, and alignment.

The image of two leaders choosing clenched fists over clasped hands may have lasted only seconds, but it has come to represent a much larger story: the intensifying competition and philosophical divide at the heart of the global AI race.