Industry · The Signal
Disney puts companywide AI and technology under an incoming CTO
Karandeep Anand is due to start October 2. His brief spans data and AI platforms, infrastructure, product and engineering.
Reporting updated Sep 23, 2026
The next useful announcement is what Disney’s teams can use together. A new executive role alone does not change an artist’s daily tools.
What Happened
Disney announced on September 18 that Karandeep Anand, most recently CEO of Character.AI, will become its chief technology officer. The newly created role reports to CEO Josh D’Amaro.
Disney says Anand will work across its segment technology teams. It also expects a number of Character.AI technical staff to join him.
Why It Matters
The appointment gives Disney’s companywide AI work a named leader and a start date. It does not announce a new production tool or a change to creative policy. For an artist or small studio, there is nothing here yet to adopt or plan a project around.