Karandeep Anand, who has extensive experience in the technology industry, especially in artificial intelligence, has been named as the first chief technology officer of Walt Disney, as the entertainment company looks to widen its technology and artificial intelligence footprint.
Anand is the former chief executive of generative AI chatbot company Character.AI will be joining Disney on October 2. He will report directly to Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro, who became Disney’s top exec in March.
The move is in line with the ongoing transformation of the media sector by AI and the desire of businesses to converge technology operations across business units. Anand will lead enterprise technology, AI platforms and engineering for Disney’s business segments.
Multiple members of Character.AI’s technical team are also expected to move to Disney with Anand.
Anand brings experience from Microsoft, Meta and Brex
Anand has been in the technology industry for a long time. Before joining Character.Prior to this, he was president and chief product officer of fintech firm Brex.
He has also served in high-ranking roles at Facebook (Meta) and about 15 years at Microsoft, where he helped develop the Azure cloud platform. He has been working in cloud computing, product development, social media and artificial intelligence.
His hire aligns Disney with a seasoned technology leader as the entertainment industry grows more reliant on digital platforms, AI-powered tools and data-driven products.
Disney has been gradually increasing its utilization of AI and other technologies. The company has piloted AI-powered search and discovery capabilities on Disney+ and ESPN, and it recently announced a massive deal with OpenAI in 2025 to use Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters in content generated by Sora.
Disney also reshuffles its streaming leadership
Anand joins Disney as they make other changes to their upper levels of leadership.
On Thursday, the company named Adam Smith, an internal executive, as chairman of its streaming business. The changes were also part of Disney’s push to revamp its TV offerings in a new franchise and direct-to-consumer streaming service, such as Disney+ and Hulu, and to give Joe Earley a new role.
Anand’s previous company called Character.In the last couple of months, AI has been the subject of lawsuits; for instance, one was filed over a chatbot impersonating doctors and another wrongful-death lawsuit was amicably resolved in January. Also, Disney sent Character.In September 2025, AI issued a cease-and-desist notice for the unauthorized use of its characters.
In spite of all that, Disney has decided to put Anand in charge of technology and AI across the entire company. His hire will give Disney for the first time a dedicated executive for technology strategy, as the CTO will report on a company-wide basis across Disney’s various business lines.
The hiring comes as Disney continues its push toward incorporating technology into its entertainment, streaming and consumer operations amid the growing influence of AI in the media sector.
