Disney Names Character.AI's Former CEO as First CTO

Disney taps AI executive despite past legal friction

Disney has appointed Karandeep Anand as its first chief technology officer, a newly created role that signals the entertainment giant's commitment to integrating technology more deeply across its operations. Anand, who most recently led Character.AI as CEO, will report directly to Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro and begin October 2.

The appointment carries notable irony: Disney sent Character.AI a cease-and-desist letter in September 2025 accusing the AI startup of unauthorized use of its copyrighted characters. That legal friction apparently did not prevent Disney from recognizing Anand's technical credentials and strategic vision.

According to Deadline, which first reported the news, the hire comes amid broader executive restructuring under D'Amaro, who took over as CEO earlier in 2026 after Bob Iger's departure. On Thursday, Disney named Adam Smith, a Google and YouTube veteran who joined Disney in 2024, as Chairman of Direct-to-Consumer for Disney Entertainment. Joe Earley moved from co-chairing that division to a new franchise and content role.

Why it matters

Creating a CTO position at Disney's highest leadership level reflects how seriously D'Amaro views technology as core to the company's future, not merely a support function. The choice of an AI executive with deep product experience at Meta and Microsoft suggests Disney intends to build proprietary AI capabilities rather than rely solely on external partnerships—a strategic shift after its OpenAI deal collapsed when Sora shut down.

Anand's background spans consumer tech and AI

Before Character.AI, Anand served as president and chief product officer at financial technology company Brex. He spent significant time at Meta's Facebook, most recently as vice president of ads and business products. Earlier, he held senior product and engineering leadership positions during a 15-year tenure at Microsoft.

In his new role, Anand will oversee enterprise technology, infrastructure, data and AI platforms, product development, and engineering. He will work across Disney's segment technology teams to modernize how the company builds and delivers technology. Several members of Character.AI's technical team are expected to join Disney alongside Anand.

One Disney strategy drives technology integration

D'Amaro's "One Disney" plan, informed by his previous leadership of the company's Experiences division, aims to align assets more closely around Disney+. The CEO emphasized in a statement that Anand "brings a rare mix of experience across infrastructure, consumer technology and AI" and described him as "an expert builder and strategist, technical and product-minded, with sharp instincts for what fans actually want."

The appointment follows a turbulent period in Disney's AI relationships. While OpenAI's Sora video generator initially alarmed Hollywood over intellectual property risks, Disney reached a partnership deal with OpenAI in late 2025 that traded investment for character usage rights. That agreement unraveled months later when Sora was discontinued.

Anand stated he has "admired Disney my entire life for how it blends unforgettable storytelling with the latest technology" and looks forward to helping the company "connect fans worldwide with its beloved stories and characters in new and innovative ways."

Details of the appointment were first reported by Deadline.