Disney’s first CTO is Character.AI’s former CEO

The Walt Disney Company announced on Sept. 18, 2026, that Karandeep Anand has joined the conglomerate as its first chief technology officer. In the new role, Anand will report directly to Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro and oversee the company’s infrastructure, product, engineering and data/AI platforms teams. Anand joins Disney from Character.AI, where he served as CEO for a little more than a year and led the startup’s push into microdramas. His move to Disney is notable given that, roughly a year earlier, Disney had issued cease-and-desist letters to Character.AI over alleged copyright infringements related to the startup’s tools. The hire comes as Disney reassesses its approach to artificial intelligence and partnerships: the company’s earlier collaboration with OpenAI has reportedly broken down. Bringing a single executive to coordinate technology and AI functions across Disney’s businesses suggests the company is consolidating technical leadership as it navigates those changes. The appointment was reported by The Verge, which covered the company’s announcement and contextualized Anand’s transition from the chatbot startup to the media giant.