Disney Names First-Ever Technology Chief As It Bets Bigger On AI

BURBANK, CA — Disney is creating its first companywide chief technology officer position as its executives put technology at the center of a broader strategy built around storytelling, creativity and a more unified company.

Karandeep Anand, most recently CEO of Character.AI, will join the Walt Disney Company on Oct. 2 as senior executive vice president and chief technology officer, reporting directly to CEO Josh D’Amaro.

In announcing the hire, D’Amaro laid out three priorities for Disney: keeping “great storytelling as our North Star,” using technology “in service of creativity” and operating as “One Disney.”

Anand will oversee enterprise technology, infrastructure, data and artificial intelligence platforms, product and engineering across Disney. Several members of Character.AI’s technical team are also expected to join the company.

The appointment comes as D’Amaro pushes for a more connected relationship between Disney and its customers, with Disney+ positioned as a central digital hub for the company’s brands and experiences.

Anand has also held senior roles at Brex, Facebook and Microsoft, where he spent 15 years and helped build the Azure cloud platform, the Hollywood Reporter reported.

His hiring also underscores Disney’s evolving relationship with generative AI. Engadget noted that Disney sent Character.AI a cease-and-desist letter in 2025 over chatbots based on Disney characters before later embracing other AI partnerships.

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