Disney appoints Karandeep Anand as its first-ever chief technology officer, a newly created role as the company expands its technology ambitions. Multiple outlets report that Anand, a veteran technology executive, will join Disney from his position as CEO of AI chatbot startup Character.AI.
Anand is expected to help shape Disney’s technology strategy, with several sources noting that he will report directly to Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro. The Wall Street Journal and others describe the appointment as part of a broader push under D’Amaro to position the company as more tech-forward. The New York Times and Hollywood Reporter similarly frame the move around building capabilities for the generative AI era. Deadline and Quartz specify Anand’s start date as October 2.
Some outlets also reference Disney’s prior conflict with Character.AI: TechCrunch and The Next Web note that Disney accused the startup of copying its characters and took actions that included a cease-and-desist letter, along with later restrictions involving minors. While the reports agree on the appointment, they differ slightly in emphasis—some focus on Anand’s background and industry experience, while others highlight the Character.AI dispute and its context.
