Disney hires former Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand as its first CTO; about a year ago, Disney accused Character.AI of infringing its copyrights (Todd Spangler/Variety)
ThinkingNews Desk · how this was written
Disney has appointed former Character.AI chief executive Karandeep Anand as its first chief technology officer. The move follows a prior accusation that Character.AI had infringed Disney’s copyrights. Anand’s new role marks the first time Disney has hired a former executive from a company it had sued.
Written from all 5 reports below, not from any single one.
How it was reported
- TechMeme·Disney hires former Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand as its first CTO; about a year ago, Disney accused Character.AI of infringing its copyrights (Todd Spangler/Variety)
- The Next Web·Disney names Character.AI’s chief executive as its first CTO
Disney appointed Karandeep Anand, former CEO of Character.AI, as chief technology officer. The move follows a September 2025 cease-and-desist letter sent to Character.AI over unauthorized use of Disney characters. Two months later, Disney barred users under 18 from open-ended chat on the platform.
- TechCrunch·Disney’s first CTO led an AI startup it once accused of copying its characters
Disney has appointed Karandeep Anand, former CEO of the AI startup Character.AI, as its first chief technology officer. Anand’s company had faced a Disney cease-and-desist in September 2025 for alleged infringement of Disney characters and has also been sued over chatbot content that allegedly encouraged self-harm. The hire signals Disney’s intent to integrate advanced AI technologies under new CEO Josh D’Amaro.
- The Verge·Disney’s first CTO is Character.AI’s former CEO
Disney appointed Karandeep Anand as its first-ever chief technology officer. Reporting to CEO Josh D'Amaro, Anand will lead the company's infrastructure, product, engineering, and data and AI platforms. He joins Disney after serving as CEO of the chatbot startup Character.AI, where he managed the company's expansion into microdramas.
- Engadget·Disney hires ex-CEO of AI company it accused of copyright infringement
Disney has appointed former Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand as chief technology officer, overseeing enterprise technology, data, and AI platforms. Anand will bring several Character.AI staff to Disney and will report directly to CEO Josh D’Amaro, who emphasizes technology that supports storytelling and creativity. Disney previously sued Character.AI for copyright infringement and later licensed its characters to OpenAI.
Related stories
- Disney names Josh D'Amaro, head of its theme parks and consumer products division, as CEO, replacing Bob Iger; D'Amaro joined Disney in 1998 (Variety)3 outlets
- OpenAI is not just replacing its revenue chief, it is rebuilding the sales operation3 outlets
- Midjourney wants Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros. to reveal in court how they use AI across their companies; studios sued Midjourney in 2025 for infringement (Gene Maddaus/Variety)3 outlets
- What’s behind the AI industry’s latest warnings of doom?6 outlets