Character.AI’s ex-CEO takes the helm as Disney’s inaugural CTO.

You might expect a massive multimedia powerhouse like Disney to have a few chief technology officers in place, but they’ve just made their first-ever appointment to that role.

Today, Disney revealed that Karandeep Anand is stepping in as the new CTO. He will report directly to the recently appointed CEO, Josh D’Amaro, and will lead the teams focused on infrastructure, product development, engineering, and data/AI platforms. Anand joins Disney after a stint as CEO of the chatbot startup Character.AI, where he played a key role in the company’s venture into microdramas.

Anand’s move to Disney is somewhat unexpected, especially considering that just a year ago, the company was sending cease and desist letters to Character.AI over copyright issues. His hiring may indicate a shift in Disney’s approach to AI, particularly following the breakdown of its partnership with OpenAI.