Walt Disney Co. has named Karandeep Anand to the newly created role of chief technology officer. Joining the company on October 2, Anand becomes the first person to hold this position as Disney looks to further its embrace of technology.
Anand will report directly to CEO Josh D'Amaro, who has made tech a focus for the entertainment giant. D'Amaro described Anand as an expert builder and strategist who is technical and product-minded, with sharp instincts for what fans actually want.
Anand previously served as the chief executive of Character.AI, an online chatbot that lets users talk with artificially created characters. Disney had previously sent a cease-and-desist letter to the company.