Key facts
- Karandeep Anand named Walt Disney's first chief technology officer.
- Anand joins Disney from generative AI chatbot service Character.AI, where he was CEO.
- He will report to CEO Josh D'Amaro and oversee enterprise technology, AI platforms, and engineering.
- Adam Smith named chairman of Disney's streaming business.
- Joe Earley named president of Disney Entertainment Television Franchise and Content Strategy.
Walt Disney has appointed Karandeep Anand as its first chief technology officer, a move that comes as the media landscape is being reshaped by artificial intelligence and industry consolidation. Anand, who most recently served as CEO of generative AI chatbot service Character.AI, will join Disney effective October 2 and report directly to CEO Josh D'Amaro.
Anand will be responsible for overseeing enterprise technology, AI platforms, and engineering across all of Disney's business segments. A number of Character.AI's technical staff are expected to join him at Disney. Before his role at Character.AI, Anand was president and chief product officer at fintech company Brex, held senior positions at Meta's Facebook, and spent 15 years at Microsoft, where he contributed to building the Azure platform.
This appointment follows recent leadership changes in Disney's streaming division. On Thursday, Disney named Adam Smith as chairman of its streaming business and created a new role for Joe Earley as president of Disney Entertainment Television Franchise and Content Strategy, sharpening the company's focus on its direct-to-consumer platforms like Disney+ and Hulu.