The AI Impact Summit in India came with its fair share of highs, but it was also marked by some embarrassing moments for the country. First, it was the Galgotias University controversy, where it passed off a Chinese robot dog as its own at the expo, leading to an ignominious exit from the venue. Then, a group photo-op with Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned awkward as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was seen refusing to hold hands with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.
Now, Sam Altman has explained to the Indian media outlets why what was supposed to be a symbolic gesture by Narendra Modi, signalling a global partnership in the AI space, attained virality for all the wrong reasons.
Sam Altman comes clean after botched photo-op
The fourth day of the AI Impact Summit saw Altman and Amodei, along with other tech leaders, go on stage for a group photograph with Narendra Modi. With Modi taking centre stage, Google CEO Sundar Pichai was on his right, while Altman stood on his left, and the Anthropic CEO was standing beside the OpenAI CEO.
What unfolded in front of the cameras was nothing short of an uncomfortable spectacle. Altman and Amodei were visibly perplexed, not knowing what to do, while the others held up their hands clasped together. Eventually, both held their hands up, but separately, balled up in a fist.
Talking to Indian media outlets after the awkward incident, Altman explained that he was “confused.”
“I was sort of confused and didn’t know what I was supposed to do,” he said.
Altman wasn’t sure what was happening and was quite taken aback when the Indian Prime Minister held his hand up.
“Like (Prime Minister) Modi grabbed my hand and put it up, and I just wasn’t sure what we were supposed to be doing,” he said.
However, speculation is rife on social media that the hand-holding refusal symbolised that the bad blood between the two foremost global competitors in the AI space has not subsided. For those who don’t know, Altman and Amodei were colleagues at OpenAI till 2019.
But a disagreement about the company’s direction forced Amodei, along with other former OpenAI executives, to part ways in 2020. Amodei ultimately founded his own company, Anthropic, to rival Altman’s brainchild. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has still not commented publicly on the issue.
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Sam Altman lauds China’s remarkable AI progress
Speaking to CNBC International, Altman has categorically stated that the US does not underestimate China, and in certain domains of the AI space, China’s progress has been “amazingly fast” and “remarkable.”
“The progress of Chinese tech companies across the entire stack is remarkable,” he said.
Assessing China’s position in the AI marketplace, Altman stated that the country is near the technological frontier in certain areas, and in some, they are still behind.
Sam Altman is still in India for the AI summit, which started on February 16, 2026, and will continue till February 20. Altman will closely track China’s AI advances as he seeks to maintain his global edge.
Also Read: Sam Altman Bets Big on India as Next AI Powerhouse Banking on the Country’s Adoption Potential
