Disney's Curious Case of Character Reversal The hiring of Karandeep Anand as Disney's first ever chief technology officer has raised more questions than answers about the company's approach to innovation and intellectual property.
This appointment is particularly noteworthy given that Anand, former CEO of AI startup Character. AI, was at the center of a high profile dispute with Disney in 2025. Disney had accused Character.
AI of infringing on its beloved characters by hosting them on its platform without permission. The company sent a cease and desist letter to Character. AI in September 2025, claiming copyright infringement.