Disney’s first CTO is Character.AI’s former CEO
The Walt Disney Company has appointed Karandeep Anand as its first companywide Chief Technology Officer and Senior Executive Vice President. Anand, the former CEO of AI chatbot startup Character.AI, will lead Disney's enterprise technology, data, and artificial intelligence initiatives. The move signals an expanded push into AI and tech integration across the media giant's operations. Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro announced the hire via an employee memo, establishing a newly created role to centralize the company's technical ambitions.
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- ✓ Karandeep Anand is Disney's first-ever Chief Technology Officer.
- ✓ Anand previously served as the CEO of the AI chatbot startup Character.AI.
- ✓ The role of Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer is a newly created position.
- ✓ Anand will oversee enterprise technology, data, and AI across the company.
What changed
Disney created a Chief Technology Officer role and hired former Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand to fill it.
Live updates
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Disney Appoints Karandeep Anand as First-Ever Chief Technology Officer
The Walt Disney Company has appointed Karandeep Anand as its first companywide Chief Technology Officer and Senior Executive Vice President. Anand, the former CEO of AI chatbot startup Character.AI, will lead Disney's enterprise technology, data, and artificial intelligence initiatives. The move signals an expanded push into AI and tech integration across the media giant's operations. Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro announced the hire via an employee memo, establishing a newly created role to centralize the company's technical ambitions.
Why it matters
Disney previously operated without a companywide CTO. This appointment reflects a strategic shift toward integrating generative AI and data science into its entertainment and fandom ecosystems.
What is confirmed
- Karandeep Anand is Disney's first-ever Chief Technology Officer.
- Anand previously served as the CEO of the AI chatbot startup Character.AI.
- The role of Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer is a newly created position.
- Anand will oversee enterprise technology, data, and AI across the company.
- Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro sent a memo to employees regarding the hire.
What to watch next
- Specific AI product integrations within Disney's theme parks or streaming services
- Further executive restructuring to support the new CTO office
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (11)
- Variety — Disney Hires Its First CTO: Karandeep Anand, Former CEO of AI Chatbot Start-Up
- character.ai blog — The Next Chapter of Entertainment and Fandom
- CNBC — Disney names CTO for the first time as media giant expands tech push
- Bloomberg.com — Disney Names AI Executive as First-Ever Chief Technology Officer
- Business Insider — Read the memo Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro sent employees after he hired the company's first-ever tech chief
- The Verge — Disney’s first CTO is Character.AI’s former CEO
- WSJ — Disney Beefs Up Tech Ambitions With Newly Created CTO Role
- note.com — From AI, to You | 3-Story Summary 9/19/2026
- nripulse.com — Disney Names Karandeep Anand Its First Companywide Chief Technology Officer
- note.com — Google Discover 新機能テスト中 流入減になる可能性 メディア業界ニュースまとめ2026/9/21
- pulse2.com — Disney Names Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand As CTO To Lead Enterprise Technology, Data, And AI
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