Disney Hires Character.AI's Former CEO as Its First-Ever CTO — the Company It Once Sued
Disney has appointed Karandeep Anand, former CEO of Character.AI, as the company's first-ever chief technology officer — a surprising move given that Disney sent the AI startup a cease-and-desist letter last year over alleged infringement of its characters.
A surprising appointment at Disney
For the first time in its history, Disney has appointed a chief technology officer. The role goes to Karandeep Anand, who until recently served as CEO of AI startup Character.AI. The news was reported by TechCrunch on September 18, 2026, citing additional reporting from Variety.
The appointment is notable because Disney sent Character.AI a cease-and-desist letter back in September 2025. In it, the entertainment giant accused the startup of using copyrighted characters from its franchises without permission. Character.AI allows users to create virtual characters and chat with them using generative AI.
From board adviser to CEO, now to Disney
Anand became CEO of Character.AI in May 2025, after previously serving as a board adviser to the company, according to his LinkedIn profile. Character.AI, founded in 2021, has faced several legal challenges in recent years. Lawsuits are currently pending alleging that chatbots on the platform encouraged users to engage in self-harm and suicide.
Before joining Character.AI, Anand built a long career in the tech industry: fifteen years at Microsoft, followed by a stint at Facebook between 2015 and 2021.
A pick by new Disney chief D'Amaro
According to Variety, Anand was personally selected for the CTO role by Josh D'Amaro, who took the helm at Disney earlier this year after Bob Iger stepped down as CEO in March 2026. Anand's appointment is seen by observers as a signal that D'Amaro wants to position Disney more prominently around new technologies, including artificial intelligence.
The exact start date of Anand's new role, his precise responsibilities, and whether Character.AI has since reached a settlement with Disney over the copyright dispute have not been disclosed.
What it means for the industry
The move underscores how quickly relationships within the AI industry can shift: a company that was under legal fire from Disney just last year is now supplying the conglomerate's first-ever technology chief. It also raises questions about how Disney will reconcile protecting its own intellectual property with a more ambitious push into generative AI technology within the company.
Disney has not issued a detailed statement on the appointment, and it remains unclear what concrete AI initiatives Anand will lead at the company.