From Engadget · Ian Carlos Campbell · · 1m 10s
Disney hires the CEO it sued for copyright theft
Disney accused Character.AI of infringing its intellectual property, then hired its former leader as chief technology officer.
In brief
Disney accused Character.AI of infringing its intellectual property, then hired its former leader as chief technology officer. Disney's aggressive stance on AI copyright protection appears secondary to its strategic need for AI expertise and leadership. Originally reported by Engadget.
Disney sues AI startup for copyright theft
In September 2025, Disney sent Character.AI a cease and desist letter, claiming the platform offered chatbots based on Disney characters that were harmful to children.
“harmful and dangerous to children”
Now Disney hires Character.AI's ex-CEO
Disney announced it's hiring Karandeep Anand, the former CEO of Character.AI, as its first chief technology officer, reporting directly to CEO Josh D'Amaro.
Anand brings AI expertise and staff
As CTO, Anand will oversee enterprise technology, data platforms, and AI systems. He's also bringing several of Character.AI's technical staff to Disney.
D'Amaro positions Disney as tech company
Since becoming CEO in February, D'Amaro has emphasized Disney's technology capabilities, with Disney+ streaming and apps central to the company's future strategy.
“technology in service of creativity”
Disney licensed characters to OpenAI months later
In December 2025, just three months after suing Character.AI, Disney agreed to license its characters to OpenAI for its Sora app, suggesting profit mattered more than principle.
What to remember
Disney's aggressive stance on AI copyright protection appears secondary to its strategic need for AI expertise and leadership.
