OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei refuse to hold hands at India AI Summit as rivalry heats up

A moment meant to signal unity instead spotlighted one of Silicon Valley’s fiercest rivalries. For a brief moment on stage in New Delhi, the state of the AI race was on display.

At the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought 13 global tech leaders together on stage for a symbolic show of solidarity. As cameras flashed and the crowd applauded, Modi nudged executives to join hands and raise them.

Most obliged.

Two did not.

Standing side by side, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei lifted their fists but kept them conspicuously apart.

Reuters reported that Altman appeared visibly uncomfortable, looking away as others—including Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai—joined hands. The brief exchange was captured on camera and quickly spread across social media, where users described it as emblematic of the growing “AI cold war” between the two companies.

Altman later told Moneycontrol: “I didn’t know what was happening on stage. I wasn’t sure what we were supposed to be doing.”

When AI Rivals Share the Stage: Altman and Amodei’s Viral Moment at India AI Impact Summit

Credit: YouTube screen grab

The moment arrives amid intensifying competition between OpenAI and Anthropic. ChatGPT and Claude are competing for dominance across consumer and enterprise markets, each seeking to become the default interface for AI-powered work and communication.

The rivalry has already spilled into public view.

Last month, Anthropic aired Super Bowl commercials that took aim at OpenAI’s plan to test advertising formats for free users and ChatGPT Go subscribers in the United States. Altman responded on X, calling the ads “clearly dishonest,” and wrote: “I guess it’s on brand for Anthropic doublespeak to use a deceptive ad to critique theoretical deceptive ads that aren’t real, but a Super Bowl ad is not where I would expect it.”

Anthropic’s chief customer officer, Paul Smith, later told CNBC that the company was focused on growing its business rather than making “flashy headlines.”

Anthropic was founded in 2021 by former OpenAI researchers, including Amodei, following disagreements over the company’s direction and governance. Since then, both firms have raised billions of dollars and secured backing from major technology partners as they compete for enterprise contracts, infrastructure scale, and long-term positioning in the AI economy.

On stage in India, their messaging diverged as well.

Amodei warned about the “serious risks” tied to advanced AI systems, including autonomous behavior, misuse by governments or bad actors, and economic displacement.

Altman argued that AI safety must include “societal resilience,” telling attendees: “We believe no AI lab can deliver a good future on their own.”

For a few seconds, the difference between them was visible.

A raised fist instead of a joined hand.

In a global AI race defined by speed, capital, and competing visions, symbolism travels fast.

Watch the video below.