NEWS · COMPANIES · #655
Disney hires Karandeep Anand, former Character.AI CEO, as first chief technology officer
Disney has appointed Karandeep Anand — who served as CEO of Character.AI — as its first-ever chief technology officer, a pick made by new CEO Josh D’Amaro. Character.AI, which Anand led after advising the company, was the subject of a Disney cease-and-desist in September 2025 over alleged copyright infringement and has faced other legal complaints.
KEY POINTS
- Disney has appointed Karandeep Anand — who served as CEO of Character.AI — as its first-ever chief technology officer, a pick made by new CEO Josh D’Amaro.
- Character.AI, which Anand led after advising the company, was the subject of a Disney cease-and-desist in September 2025 over alleged copyright infringement and has faced other legal complaints.
- The hire signals Disney's push to more directly embrace generative AI under new leadership while raising IP and safety questions given Anand's prior role at Character.AI.
WHY IT MATTERS
The hire signals Disney's push to more directly embrace generative AI under new leadership while raising IP and safety questions given Anand's prior role at Character.AI.