# Disney Names First AI Tech Chief

> Disney hires AI expert to lead tech as AI tools rise.
- Title: Disney Names First AI Tech Chief · The Hollywood Reporter
- Summary: Disney hires AI expert to lead tech as AI tools rise. Disney appoints Karandeep Anand as its first CTO to steer AI and tech strategy amid generative AI…
- Keywords: walt disney, karandeep anand, chief technology officer, character ai, meta, microsoft, azure, disney plus, Disney, Names, First, Tech
- Source: The Hollywood Reporter — https://hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/walt-disney-karandeep-anand-1236705379
- Author: Etan Vlessing
- Published: 2026-09-18T16:42:35+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: walt disney, karandeep anand, chief technology officer, character ai, meta, microsoft, azure, disney plus
## Disney Hires Tech Chief
Disney appoints Karandeep Anand as its first chief technology officer.
## Anand's Background
Anand led Character.AI and previously worked at Meta and Microsoft.
## Disney CEO's Statement
Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro says Anand brings AI and tech expertise for storytelling.
## Anand's Role
Anand oversees Disney's tech, data, ai platforms and engineering teams.
## Tech Team Moves
Character.AI's tech team joins Disney starting October.
## Anand's Goals
Anand aims to connect Disney fans globally through new tech storytelling.
## Key takeaway

Disney appoints Karandeep Anand as its first CTO to steer AI and tech strategy amid generative AI growth.