Disney, the multimedia giant, has appointed its first ever Chief Technology Officer (CTO), bringing on board Karandeep Anand, the former CEO of chatbot company, Character.AI. Anand will report directly to the company’s new CEO, Josh D’Amaro, and will oversee the company’s infrastructure, product, engineering, and data/AI platforms teams.

Anand’s hiring is a bit surprising considering that just a year ago, Disney was sending cease and desist letters to Character.AI for allegedly infringing on copyrighted intellectual property. But it could signal Disney’s renewed focus on AI after its partnership with OpenAI fell through.

Despite the company’s history of legal disputes, Anand’s expertise in AI and chatbots could be key as Disney looks to integrate more technological advancements into its content and operations.

It remains to be seen whether Disney will use its new CTO to forge a more collaborative relationship with tech companies, or continue to tread cautiously around AI and its potential applications.