Walt Disney Co. has appointed former Character.AI chief executive Karandeep Anand as its first chief technology officer and senior executive vice president, effective Oct. 2. Anand will report directly to Chief Executive Josh D'Amaro and oversee enterprise technology, infrastructure, data and AI platforms, product and engineering across Disney. The new role is part of D'Amaro's effort to embed technology more deeply across the company after he succeeded Bob Iger in March. Disney expects a number of Character.AI technical employees to follow Anand. The appointment follows Disney's September 2025 cease-and-desist letter to Character.AI over unauthorized chatbot versions of characters including Elsa, Moana, Peter Parker and Darth Vader, which the platform removed. Disney is also reshaping its streaming leadership and pursuing a Disney+ strategy that combines entertainment with sports, games, consumer products, parks, cruises and interactive experiences. Disney shares fell 2.52% to $102.69 on Friday after a sharp mid-morning decline.