Disney Taps Former AI Chatbot CEO as First-Ever CTO
The Walt Disney Company has created a new executive position, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and appointed Karandeep Anand to fill it. Anand, who previously served as CEO of Character.AI, an AI chatbot company, will start in this role on October 2nd.
Anand's hire marks the latest in Disney's push to integrate artificial intelligence into its operations. Under his leadership, he led Character.AI through a period of rapid growth and built one of the most engaged consumer-AI audiences worldwide.
The new CTO will oversee enterprise technology, infrastructure, data, AI platforms, product, and engineering across Disney's various segments, including Disney+, Imagineers, and Walt Disney World. He'll work directly with CEO Josh D'Amaro to modernize the company's technology development process.