Disney Hires Its First CTO Amid Industry Push to Embrace A.I.

Nonetheless, Disney is still struggling to make its sprawling businesses work together technologically. The 103-year-old Disney has been slower to develop and introduce new streaming features than tech-driven rivals like Netflix. Disney must also figure out how to embrace A.I. without alienating actors, writers and other creative workers who fear it will take their jobs, or undermining the trust it has built with families.

Since taking Disney’s top job in March, Mr. D’Amaro has made addressing those challenges an urgent mandate.

Other moves have included a content-sharing deal with TikTok, announced last month, that will bring to Disney+ curated short-form videos that use clips from the company’s library. On Thursday, Disney named Adam Smith its chairman of streaming, giving one executive responsibility for knitting together Disney+ and Hulu. Dana Walden, Disney’s president, called him “the right leader to meet the critical moment we’re in and take us to the next level.”

Increasing Disney’s technological prowess is crucial to competing for customers, particularly the younger ones it most needs to reach. It could also help change a narrative on Wall Street. Disney shares have fallen about 6 percent this year and roughly 40 percent over the past five years, reflecting investor concerns about its ability to generate growth as traditional TV declines.

In a statement, Mr. D’Amaro described Mr. Anand as “an expert builder and strategist, technical and product-minded, with sharp instincts for what fans actually want.” Disney said “a number” of Character.AI technologists were expected to join him at Disney.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/business/media/disney-ai-technology-karandeep-anand.html