Disney Taps Former Character.AI CEO as Its First Chief Technology Officer

Disney has announced the appointment of Karandeep Anand as its first chief technology officer (CTO). Anand previously served as CEO of AI company Character.AI. In his new role, he will oversee Disney's enterprise technology, data and AI platforms, and will bring several Character.AI technical staff members with him to the company.

Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro said in a statement that Anand brings a rare mix of experience across infrastructure, consumer technology and AI, and will be a valuable addition to Disney's senior leadership team as the company advances its priorities of storytelling, creativity and technology integration. Since becoming CEO in February 2026, D'Amaro has emphasized Disney's identity as a technology company, with Disney+ at the center of its future. The appointment is seen as part of that direction.

It is worth noting that Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Character.AI in September 2025, claiming the platform offered chatbots based on Disney characters and was harmful to children. However, in December 2025, Disney reached a licensing deal with OpenAI for its characters in the Sora app. Observers suggest Disney values Anand's AI expertise more than past disputes.