New Delhi, February 20, 2026 — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has broken his silence on a viral onstage moment during the India AI Impact Summit, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised his hand in a symbolic gesture of unity—leaving Altman visibly puzzled and sparking widespread online buzz.
The incident unfolded yesterday at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi during a group photo session following the summit's inaugural address. PM Modi, positioned at the center, clasped hands with Alphabet/Google CEO Sundar Pichai on his right and Altman on his left, then encouraged the lineup of tech leaders—including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei (a former OpenAI executive and now rival), Meta's Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, and others—to join in raising clasped hands as a show of collective commitment to AI advancement.
While most participants linked hands and lifted them high, an awkward pause occurred between Altman and Amodei, who stood adjacent. Instead of clasping each other's hands, the two raised independent clenched fists, breaking the intended chain. The brief hesitation and alternative pose quickly went viral on social media, with users speculating it reflected the intense rivalry between OpenAI and Anthropic amid the heated AI race.
In a candid response to reporters later in the day, Altman addressed the moment directly. “I didn’t know what was happening. I was sort of confused, like Modi grabbed my hand and put it up, and I just wasn’t sure what we were supposed to be doing,” he said, according to multiple reports from outlets including The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, and Times of India.
Altman emphasized his uncertainty about the protocol during the spontaneous photo op, downplaying any deeper intent. He described being momentarily unsure how to respond when the Prime Minister initiated the hand-raise gesture.
The clip has drawn amused reactions online, with some netizens joking about the "AI cold war" on display, while others praised the lighthearted exchange. ChatGPT itself even weighed in humorously on related viral discussions, generating an "OpenClaw" image in reference to the fist-raising.
The India AI Impact Summit, hosted by the government, brought together global tech leaders to discuss India's role as an emerging AI powerhouse, affordable AI innovation, and ethical development. PM Modi highlighted the country's potential in the sector during his address.
No further comments have come from Amodei or the Prime Minister's office on the photo moment, but Altman's straightforward explanation has helped shift focus back to the summit's substantive discussions on AI's future. The viral episode, however, continues to trend as a memorable—if awkward—highlight of the high-profile event.
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