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Sam Altman clarified an awkward moment during a photo session at the India AI Impact Summit, where he and Dario Amodei hesitated to hold hands.
After an awkward onstage moment during a group photo session, OpenAI's Sam Altman has clarified what happened alongside Dario Amodei, the chief executive of rival AI firm Anthropic. The brief but noticeable incident occurred at the India AI Impact Summit, where several leaders were linking hands for the ceremonial picture, but Altman and Amodei hesitated to join in.
"I was sort of confused and didn't know what I was supposed to do," Altman told PTI on Thursday, describing the moment when the two AI leaders were standing next to each other but did not hold hands for the picture.
The clip quickly circulated online, fuelling speculation about possible tension between the two tech entrepreneurs. However, Altman explained the context, downplaying any suggestion of rivalry behind the split-second decision.
What happened on stage?
After the keynote session at the summit on Tuesday morning, several global tech leaders were invited on stage for a photograph with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Among those present were Sundar Pichai, Pratyush Kumar, Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and Alexandr Wang.
The Prime Minister was at the centre with Pichai on his right and Altman on his left. Amodei, who previously worked at OpenAI but eventually left to co-found Anthropic, was standing next to Altman.
As cameras flashed, the Prime Minister and other leaders held their hands up, while Altman and Amodei appeared momentarily unsure about what to do. While everyone else held each other's hands as they held them high, the two ended up with fists in the air.
"I didn't know what was happening," Altman said when asked about the awkward moment. "I was sort of confused, like (Prime Minister) Modi grabbed my hand and put it up, and I just wasn't sure what we were supposed to be doing. I thought it was the open clock."
Is there any history of rivalry between the two executives?
Altman, 40, and Amodei, who is three years older than him, previously worked together at OpenAI until 2019. Amodei later left the company in 2020, along with his sister Daniela, and several other senior researchers. The parting of the ways reportedly happened due to disagreements with Altman and the board over the company's direction.
The Amodei siblings went on to found Anthropic, positioning it as a rival AI company. Since the split, Altman and Amodei have often differed on the approach to Artificial Intelligence.
Amodei was reportedly approached by the OpenAI board after it abruptly ousted Altman on 17 November 2023. However, the Anthropic boss declined the offer, and Altman was brought back to lead the company just days later, after a dramatic battle within the company.
The competition between the two AI companies has since intensified into a direct commercial battle, with Anthropic even running satirical Super Bowl advertisements this year that mocked OpenAI's reported plans to introduce advertising into ChatGPT, the news agency said.
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