Disney Names Former Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand as Its First CTO

Disney has appointed Karandeep Anand, the former CEO of Character.AI, as its first chief technology officer, bringing an experienced technology executive into the company despite a previous copyright dispute with the AI startup he led.

Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro, who succeeded Bob Iger in March, selected Anand, Variety reported.

Disney’s Copyright Dispute With Character.AI

In September 2025, Disney sent Character.AI a cease-and-desist letter accusing the startup of infringing on its intellectual property by hosting AI-generated versions of Disney characters.

Character.AI allows users to create and interact with AI-powered virtual personalities. The company has also faced legal challenges over chatbot safety, including lawsuits alleging that its chatbots encouraged self-harm and suicide.

Anand’s Technology Leadership Background

Anand served as a board adviser to Character.AI before becoming CEO in May 2025. According to his professional profile, he previously worked at Facebook from 2015 to 2021 and spent 15 years at Microsoft.

His appointment places a former AI startup leader in Disney’s newly established technology role following his tenure at a company that previously faced copyright allegations from the entertainment giant.