Disney Names Character.AI's Former CEO As First CTO Amid IP Rights Tensions

Disney has appointed Karandeep Anand as its first Chief Technology Officer (CTO), effective October 2. Anand, a former CEO of Character.AI, will report directly to CEO Josh D'Amaro and oversee enterprise technology, infrastructure, data, AI platforms, product, and engineering across the company.

Anand's appointment comes after significant executive moves at Disney, including the naming of Adam Smith as Chairman, Direct-to-Consumer, Disney Entertainment. The selection of Anand is notable given Disney's past disagreements with Character.AI over intellectual property rights, including a cease-and-desist letter sent in September 2025.

Before joining Character.AI, Anand held leadership roles at Brex and Meta's Facebook, as well as senior positions at Microsoft. D'Amaro praised Anand's unique blend of experience across infrastructure, consumer technology, and AI, saying he will be a vital addition to Disney's senior leadership team.

Anand expressed his enthusiasm for joining Disney, citing its commitment to blending storytelling with the latest technology to push the boundaries of entertainment.