Walt Disney has appointed technology executive Karandeep Anand as its first chief technology officer as the company looks to expand its use of artificial intelligence and strengthen its technology operations.
Anand will join Disney on October 2 as senior executive vice president and chief technology officer. He will report directly to CEO Josh D’Amaro.
In his new role, Anand will oversee Disney’s enterprise technology, infrastructure, data management and AI platforms. He will also be responsible for product and engineering teams across the company’s businesses.
D’Amaro described Anand as an experienced technology and product leader who understands both technology and what customers want.
Anand has extensive experience in technology and artificial intelligence. Before joining Disney, he was CEO of Character.AI, a generative AI company that allows users to interact with AI-powered characters.
His move to Disney is notable because the company previously had a dispute with Character.AI. In September last year, Disney sent the AI startup a cease-and-desist letter over the unauthorized use of Disney characters. Character.AI later removed the characters from its platform.
Character.AI has also faced legal challenges related to the safety of its chatbots. In January, the company and Google reached settlements in lawsuits filed by families who alleged that the technology had harmed minors. The companies did not disclose the settlement terms and did not admit liability.
Before Character.AI, Anand held senior roles at major technology companies. He spent about 15 years at Microsoft, where he worked on the Azure cloud platform. He later joined Facebook, now Meta, where he served as vice president of ads and business products.
Disney’s decision to create the CTO role comes as AI becomes increasingly important across the media and entertainment industry, from content and technology infrastructure to products and customer experiences.
