Disney’s first CTO is Character.AI’s former CEO

<figure> <img alt="An image of the Disney logo" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/STK080_VRG_Illo_N_Barclay_9_disney_.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> </figcaption> </figure> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">You would think that a multimedia conglomerate as large as Disney would have a few chief technology officers by now, but the company has just appointed someone to the position for the very first time. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Today, Disney announced that Karandeep Anand is joining the company as its new CTO. Anand will report directly to <a href="https://www.theverge.com/news/872972/disney-ceo-bob-iger-replacement-josh-damaro">Disney's recently-appointed CEO Josh D'Amaro</a>, and he will head up the company's infrastructure, product, engineering, and data / AI platforms teams. Anand comes to Disney from <a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/951461/character-ai-is-adding-new-tools-for-chatbot-creators">chatbot startup Character.AI</a> ,where he served as CEO for just over a year and <a href="https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/962897/character-ai-series-microdrama-vertical-video">oversaw the company's push into microdramas</a>. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Anand jumping ship to Disney co …</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/997555/karandeep-anand-disney-character-ai">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>