# Disney appoints Karandeep Anand as chief technology officer

Digest AI · Business & Funding · published 2026-09-18T16:14:26Z · updated 2026-09-18T17:59:53Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/disney-appoints-karandeep-anand-as-chief-technology-officer

## Summary

Disney announced hiring Karandeep Anand, former CEO of Character.AI, as senior executive vice president and chief technology officer, effective Oct. 2. The newly created role will report directly to CEO Josh D'Amaro, who has been emphasizing technology across the company.

Anand will oversee enterprise technology, infrastructure, data and AI platforms, as well as product and engineering, aiming to modernize how Disney builds and delivers technology company‑wide. His background includes leading Character.AI through rapid growth, stints at fintech firm Brex and at Meta’s Facebook. Disney also recently named Adam Smith as chairman of direct‑to‑consumer for Disney Entertainment and is exploring a free, ad‑supported tier for Disney+.

The hire reflects Disney’s broader push to embed AI and modern tech into its streaming, parks and merchandising businesses, an effort D'Amaro says is essential to sustain growth and protect intellectual property after a prior dispute with Character.AI.

## Key points

- Disney hires Karandeep Anand, former Character.AI CEO, as senior executive vice president and chief technology officer effective Oct. 2.
- Anand will oversee enterprise tech, infrastructure, data, AI platforms, product and engineering across Disney’s businesses.
- The new CTO reports to CEO Josh D'Amaro as Disney expands its tech focus on streaming, parks and commerce.

## Why it matters

Appointing a dedicated CTO shows Disney’s intent to embed AI and modern infrastructure into its content, streaming, parks and merchandising, shaping how the media giant competes and collaborates with tech partners while protecting its intellectual property.

## Sources

1. [Disney names CTO for the first time as media giant expands tech push](https://cnbc.com/2026/09/18/disney-cto-tech.html) (CNBC Technology, 2026-09-18)
2. [Disney’s first CTO led an AI startup it once accused of copying its characters](https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/18/disneys-first-cto-led-an-ai-startup-it-once-accused-of-copying-its-characters) (TechCrunch AI, 2026-09-18)
3. [Disney Names Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand Chief Technology Officer](https://unite.ai/disney-names-character-ai-ceo-karandeep-anand-chief-technology-officer) (Unite.AI, 2026-09-18)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Disney appoints Karandeep Anand as chief technology officer", 18 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/disney-appoints-karandeep-anand-as-chief-technology-officer

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