Disney Promotes CEO Josh D’Amaro to CTO After AI Clash with Character

**Disney Names Former Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand as First Chief Technology Officer**

Disney announced on Friday that Karandeep Anand, the former chief executive of the AI startup Character.AI, will become its first chief technology officer (CTO). Anand will report directly to CEO Josh D’Amaro and assume the role on October 2.

The appointment follows a series of leadership changes at Disney on Thursday, including Adam Smith’s new position as Chairman of Direct‑to‑Consumer Disney Entertainment and Joe Earley’s move to a franchise‑and‑content post in Disney Entertainment Television.

The news comes amid D’Amaro’s “One Disney” initiative, which seeks tighter integration of the company’s technology and content across its streaming and entertainment divisions.

Smith, a 20‑year veteran of Google and YouTube who joined Disney in 2024, was named chairman to help lead that effort, while Earley was shifted to align with the broader strategy.

Anand’s hiring is notable because Disney had sent a cease‑and‑desist letter to Character.AI in September 2025 over unauthorized use of its copyrighted characters. The letter was part of a broader series of disputes between Disney and AI firms, including Google.

Earlier in 2025, Disney entered a partnership with OpenAI to use its characters in exchange for an investment, but the deal collapsed after OpenAI shut down its Sora video generator.

## Background & Context

Disney’s push for a unified technology strategy dates back to the leadership transition from Bob Iger to Josh D’Amaro earlier this year. During his first months, D’Amaro has emphasized the importance of aligning Disney’s assets around Disney+ and leveraging technology to support storytelling.

The “One Disney” plan builds on his experience running the company’s Experiences division and aims to modernize infrastructure, data, and AI across all segments.

Karandeep Anand brings a blend of experience in infrastructure, consumer technology, and AI. Prior to leading Character.AI, he served as president and chief product officer at fintech firm Brex.

He also held senior product roles at Meta’s Facebook, most recently as vice‑president of ads and business products, and spent 15 years in engineering leadership at Microsoft.

## What Happened

In a statement released on Friday,

D’Amaro said: “Karandeep brings a rare mix of experience across infrastructure, consumer technology and AI, and will be a vital addition to Disney’s senior leadership team as we further our three priorities: great storytelling as our North Star, technology in service of creativity, and operating as One Disney.” He added that Anand is an “expert builder and strategist” who can help Disney connect fans worldwide with beloved stories and characters.

Anand welcomed the move, telling reporters: “I’ve admired Disney my entire life for how it blends unforgettable storytelling with the latest technology to constantly push the boundaries of what entertainment can be.

I’m honored to join a team with such extraordinary creative talent, and I look forward to building on the company’s impressive technology capabilities to help Disney connect fans worldwide with its beloved stories and characters in new and innovative ways.”

Anand will oversee enterprise technology, infrastructure, data and AI platforms, product, and engineering. He will work across Disney’s segment‑specific technology teams to further modernize how the company builds and delivers technology company‑wide. A number of Character.AI’s technical staff are also expected to join Disney.

## Implications and Next Steps

The appointment signals Disney’s intent to strengthen its technological foundation amid a AI landscape. By placing Anand in a top technology role, Disney may be positioning itself to navigate future intellectual‑property disputes and explore new AI‑driven content opportunities.

The shift also dovetails with D’Amaro’s broader “One Disney” strategy, which aims to integrate Disney+ and other streaming services more tightly with the company’s entertainment and technology assets.

Anand will begin his duties on October 2, after which he will start collaborating with Disney’s senior leaders on projects spanning infrastructure modernization, data analytics, and AI product development. The move also follows D’Amaro’s recent reshuffle of key executives to align talent with the company’s unified vision.

With these changes in place, Disney is poised to further blend storytelling and technology across its global entertainment ecosystem.