OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said he felt confused and uncomfortable during an onstage moment with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.

Altman shared the account in a Moneycontrol interview, recalling how the moment unfolded in front of global tech leaders.

“I didn’t know what was happening on stage. I was confused. He (Modi) grabbed my hand, and I was wondering what we were supposed to do,” Altman said.

“I didn’t know what was happening on stage. I was confused. He (Modi) grabbed my hand and i was wondering what we were supposed to do”

– Sam Altman 😭😭

People are literally laughing. How long will we tolerate this just for one man’s PR? pic.twitter.com/7DVdfn1PnD

— Amock_ (@Amockx2022) February 19, 2026

The summit brought together many of the world’s most influential AI figures to discuss new models, regulation, and AI’s impact on society.

But the event’s most talked-about clip was not a policy announcement or a product reveal, it was a staged moment in which senior AI leaders were steered into a 14-person hand-holding pose on stage.

The scene, intended to project unity, instead produced an uncomfortable and forced photo op that went viral all over the internet.

WTF is Modi doing

Check Sam Altman’s expression

Cringe overload

Everything seems to be an election rally for Modi pic.twitter.com/3D8jtJsgJH

— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) February 19, 2026

The clip sparked an immediate backlash and ridicule online, with critics accusing Modi of turning a global AI gathering into a personal optics exercise rather than letting the summit’s substance speak for itself.

– He is Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI

– Went to many summits & Conclaves

– For the 1st time he was forced to raise hand as if it was an Election rally

– You can see the discomfort & awkwardness on his face and body language

All this coz Modi wanted to be the Centre of Attraction pic.twitter.com/ASi73OSofD

— Nehr_who? (@Nher_who) February 19, 2026

The reaction was not limited to international observers; many Indian users also voiced embarrassment at the spectacle, calling it out as a political-style stage-managed moment.

The viral moment also featured Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on stage alongside Altman. In the footage circulating online, Altman and Amodei appeared to resist joining the hand-holding chain as expected, instead raising a fist in an awkward compromise that visibly disrupted the pose.

The hesitation stood out because Altman and Amodei represent two of the most prominent companies in artificial intelligence.

Anthropic is widely viewed as one of OpenAI’s most direct rivals, led by Amodei who previously worked at OpenAI before leaving to co-found Anthropic.