Disney has appointed technology executive Karandeep Anand as its first-ever Chief Technology Officer as the entertainment company expands its focus on technology, data and artificial intelligence.
Anand will join Disney as Senior Executive Vice President and CTO on October 2, 2026. He will report directly to Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro.
In his new role, Anand will oversee Disney’s technology operations, including enterprise technology, infrastructure, data and AI platforms, product development and engineering. He will work with technology teams across Disney’s different businesses.
Disney said the appointment is part of its efforts to strengthen technology across the company and improve its services for consumers.
Who Is Karandeep Anand?
Anand has more than two decades of experience in technology, with a career spanning cloud computing, social media, financial technology and artificial intelligence.
Before joining Disney, Anand was CEO of Character AI, a generative AI chatbot company. He became its CEO in June 2025 after previously serving as a board adviser.
During his time at Character AI, Anand worked on the company’s consumer AI products and interactive storytelling services. The company also introduced changes to its safety measures for younger users during his tenure.
Before Character AI, Anand was President and Chief Product Officer at financial technology company Brex.
He also spent several years at Meta, where he held senior leadership roles at Facebook. His final position at the company was Vice President of Ads and Business Products.
Anand began his technology career at Microsoft, where he spent 15 years in senior product and engineering roles. He was involved in the development of Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, giving him experience in cloud infrastructure and enterprise technology.
Anand studied computer science at the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad.
Why Disney Hired Anand
Anand’s appointment comes as Disney increases its focus on technology and AI across its entertainment businesses.
Disney has said its technology strategy is aimed at supporting its creative businesses. The company sees technology and AI as tools that can work alongside its storytelling and entertainment operations.
Anand brings experience in building large-scale technology platforms as well as consumer-facing AI products. Some members of his technical team at Character AI are also expected to join Disney.
His appointment also comes after a previous dispute between Disney and Character AI. In September 2025, Disney sent the AI company a cease-and-desist letter over the alleged use of Disney-owned characters on its platform. Character AI later removed Disney characters from its service.
Despite the earlier dispute, Anand is now joining Disney to lead its technology operations as the company explores new uses of artificial intelligence, data and digital technology across its businesses.
