It was only a fraction of a second. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood on stage surrounded by the biggest names in global technology, his hands raised toward the sky, and waited. Everyone joined hands. Everyone — except for the two men standing next to each other. Sam Altman of OpenAI and Dario Amodei of Anthropic raised clenched fists instead of clasping hands.
It happened at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi — an event intended to show the world the technology industry's unity. Instead, it produced a viral symbol of division.
AI Summit
The summit was an ambitious undertaking. More than 100 countries, over 20 heads of state, and the Indian government announced a fund of more than one billion dollars to support AI. Billionaire Adani pledged a $100 billion investment in data centers. Also standing alongside Modi on stage were Google's Sundar Pichai and other industry leaders. Modi raised Altman's and Pichai's hands, and the crowd applauded. A chain of clasped hands stretched across the entire stage. But where Altman's and Amodei's hands should have been, there was a gap. The two men stood side by side — and instead of making a gesture of solidarity, they raised their fists.
Altman later explained to reporters that he was “confused” when Modi grabbed his hand and “didn't know what was happening.” Believe what you will.
A Rivalry with Deep Roots
To be clear — this wasn't just an awkward moment in a photo. Behind that gap between two fists lie years of tension. Dario Amodei co-founded Anthropic in 2021 after leaving OpenAI. The reason? Disagreements over the company's direction and its approach to AI safety. Since then, Anthropic has built its identity as a “safety-oriented alternative” — and occasionally makes sure OpenAI feels it.
Just a few weeks before the summit, Anthropic launched ads during the American Super Bowl that openly mocked Altman's plan to introduce ads into ChatGPT. Altman responded sharply, calling the campaign “clearly dishonest” and adding that he hadn't expected such an approach from Anthropic. Anthropic responded through its chief customer officer, who suggested that the company was focused on growth, not “blinking headlines” — a direct jab at OpenAI.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei visibly declined to hold hands during a group photo at the India AI Impact Summit, even as other leaders on stage linked arms for the ceremonial shot pic.twitter.com/J1eGShSkiK
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 19, 2026
What's Behind It All
The video immediately flooded X (formerly Twitter). Reactions came quickly and were spot-on. The co-founder of AI startup Puch AI wrote: “When will AGI arrive? The day Dario and Sam shake hands.” An investor from Andreessen Horowitz shared the image with the caption: “When you have to do a group project with your enemy.”
The rivalry between OpenAI and Anthropic isn't just about personal animosity. Both companies are fighting for the same thing — to become the default choice for millions of users and businesses around the world. ChatGPT versus Claude. Ads versus “safety first.” Billions in investment on both sides.
And during the very week of the summit, further reports emerged that heightened the tension even more. The Pentagon was considering designating Anthropic a “supply chain risk” because the company refuses to make its Claude model available for military applications without restrictions — while OpenAI, Google, and xAI have lifted similar restrictions for the military. Anthropic is holding a hard line, particularly on autonomous weapons and mass surveillance. The result? A potential threat that could force every Pentagon supplier to certify that it does not use Claude in its systems.
At the same time, Claude is the only model running on classified systems at the U.S. Department of Defense. The irony of the situation could hardly be greater.
Jess Leão, an analyst who follows the AI industry, summed it up perfectly: “The gap between those two hands is the real story of the AI industry right now.” The summit was supposed to show the world unity. It showed the exact opposite.
It could be said that one viral shot conveyed more than hours of speeches about cooperation and a safe AI future. Altman said that “no AI lab can deliver a good future on its own.” Amodei warned of the “serious risks” posed by autonomous behavior in AI systems. They were both right. And yet they didn't shake hands.
