AI's top leaders got corralled into holding hands. It made for a photo op for the ages.

In a remarkable gathering in New Delhi, some of the leading figures in artificial intelligence converged this week to discuss cutting-edge models and their societal implications. However, it was a surprising group moment that stole the show—a 14-person hand-holding display that will likely be remembered for years to come. The event took place at the India AI Impact Summit, where prominent tech leaders, including Demis Hassabis, Sundar Pichai, Brad Smith, Sam Altman, and Dario Amodei, shared the stage with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a signature gesture, Modi joined hands with Pichai on his right and Altman on his left, lifting their linked arms for a celebratory photograph. This wasn't Modi's first time orchestrating such a moment; he has previously posed similarly with global leaders like former US President Joe Biden and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. As Modi directed the executives to join in, they quickly caught on, reaching for the hands of their neighbors. The most notable moment, however, came when the CEOs of OpenAI and Anthropic, Altman and Amodei, found themselves in a rather awkward position. After a brief pause, the two raised their arms without making contact, leading to a viral sensation on social media, with many users sharing the image and commenting on the humorous standoff. This moment of awkwardness followed a recent exchange between the two companies, which had seen Anthropic take a jab at OpenAI in a Super Bowl advertisement. Following the ad's release, Altman criticized it on social media, describing it as 'dishonest.' Amodei, who co-founded Anthropic in 2021 after departing from OpenAI, has previously cited differences in priorities regarding AI safety as a motivator for his exit, adding an extra layer of intrigue to their non-contact moment on stage.