Disney has hired its first-ever chief technology officer (CTO), but in a strange twist, the new executive comes from an AI startup that previously accused Magic Kingdom of infringing on its intellectual property.
Karandeep Anand is the former CEO of Character.AI. The company has overcome numerous legal issues since its founding in 2021. One of those legal issues arose in September 2025, when Disney sent the company a cease-and-desist letter, accusing it of infringing on beloved characters.
Character.AI allows users to create personalized virtual characters with generative AI that can speak and interact. Disney has previously claimed that the company hosts copyrighted characters from the franchise.
In addition to Disney’s accusations, Character.AI is also being sued over allegations that its chatbot encouraged users to self-harm and commit suicide.
Variety reports that Anand was chosen for the role by Disney’s new CEO, Josh D’Amaro, who took over after Bob Iger resigned in March. The hire signals that D’Amaro wants the company to embrace new technology.
Anand served as an advisor to Character.AI’s board until becoming CEO in May 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also worked at Facebook from 2015 to 2021 and before that spent 15 years at Microsoft.
