AI Summit 2026: Altman-Amodei Controversy
Handshake Controversy with PM Modi: During a group photo at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, sam Altman and Dario Amodei hesitated to shake hands with narendra Modi, raising fists instead while other AI leaders joined hands.
Longstanding Rift Between AI Giants: The conflict stems from Altman and Amodei’s past at OpenAI, where Dario and his sister Daniela left over disagreements on commercialization vs. safety. Dario focused on user safety at Anthropic, while Altman pursued aggressive business strategies at OpenAI.
Super Bowl Ad Tensions: The controversy resurfaced in february when Anthropic criticized OpenAI’s ChatGPT advertising during the Super Bowl.
Altman defended OpenAI’s approach on X, emphasizing affordability and accessibility of AI services to billions of users worldwide.
Ideology and Market Competition: The tension reflects both ideological and market-based competition. Altman and Amodei represent different approaches to AI deployment, commercialization, and user safety, showing the deep divide in AI leadership philosophies.
Product Launch Race: The rivalry also extends to product development.
Both companies recently launched flagship coding tools within 20 minutes of each other—Anthropic’s Cloud Opus 4.6 and OpenAI’s GPT-5.3 Codex—highlighting the intense race for AI innovation and market dominance.
Symbolism Beyond the Photo: The handshake moment at the summit was more than a gesture; it symbolized the complex, competitive, and ideological landscape of the AI world, even as india positions itself as a global AI hub.
This event at the AI Summit 2026 brought global attention to internal tensions in AI leadership while showcasing India’s growing role in the international AI ecosystem.
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