Altman recalls awkward Modi photo-op with Anthropic chief

New Delhi: “I was sort of confused and didn’t know what I was supposed to do,” Sam Altman said on Thursday, recalling an awkward onstage moment with Dario Amodei during a group photo at the India AI Impact Summit.

Altman, who leads OpenAI, and Amodei, the CEO of rival AI firm Anthropic, were among top global tech leaders invited on stage for a photo-op with Narendra Modi after the summit’s inaugural session.

The Prime Minister stood at the centre, flanked by Sundar Pichai on his right and Altman on his left. Amodei stood next to Altman as cameras flashed and leaders raised joined hands. While most participants clasped hands and lifted them high, Altman and Amodei hesitated briefly—ending up with fists raised instead.

“I didn’t know what was happening,” Altman said later. “Modi grabbed my hand and put it up, and I just wasn’t sure what we were supposed to be doing.” Altman and Amodei previously worked together at OpenAI until 2019. In 2020, Amodei, his sister Daniela, and several senior researchers left the company following disagreements with Altman and the board over OpenAI’s direction, later founding Anthropic. Since then, the two leaders have often taken contrasting positions on AI development and safety. Their rivalry sharpened in November 2023, when Amodei was reportedly approached after OpenAI’s board abruptly removed Altman as CEO. Amodei declined, and Altman was reinstated days later after intense internal upheaval.