Disney Names AI Executive as First-Ever Chief Technology Officer

Walt Disney Co. named Karandeep Anand to the newly created role of chief technology officer for the entertainment giant.

Anand previously served as chief executive officer of Character.AI, an online chatbot that lets users talk with artificially created characters. Disney has had chief technology officers for its business units, but never in a corporate-wide role.

Disney’s new CEO, Josh D’Amaro, has made harnessing technology a priority. In his previous role as head of theme parks and cruises, D’Amaro led the company’s investment in video-game maker Epic Games. D’Amaro plans to turn the company’s Disney+ streaming service into a hub for not just movies and TV shows, but gaming and other experiences.

Prior to Character.AI, Anand worked at Microsoft Corp. and at Facebook, where he served as vice president for ads and business products.