Disney has filled its newly created chief technology officer position for the first time, and the choice carries a surprising connection: the incoming executive comes from an AI startup the company once threatened with legal action over intellectual property.

Karandeep Anand previously led Character.AI as its CEO. That company, established in 2021, has faced a string of legal challenges. Among them was a September 2025 cease and desist letter from Disney, which alleged the startup was infringing on its famous characters. Character.AI lets people build unique virtual personas using generative AI and then converse and engage with them. Disney's claim at the time was that the platform was hosting characters from its franchises without permission.

Beyond Disney's allegations, Character.AI has also confronted lawsuits asserting that its chatbots pushed users toward self-harm and suicide.

According to Variety, the decision to bring Anand on board came from new Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro, who assumed the top role after former chief Bob Iger departed in March. The move signals that D'Amaro intends to steer the company toward adopting emerging technologies.

Before taking the CEO role at Character.AI in May 2025, Anand had been a board adviser there, according to his LinkedIn profile. His background also includes a stint at Facebook from 2015 to 2021, preceded by 15 years at Microsoft.