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Disney Deepens Its Technology Push With Hire Of Character.AI Chief

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 21, 2026

Disney is making a clear statement about where it wants to compete next: at the intersection of storytelling, data and artificial intelligence.

The company said Friday that it has hired Karandeep Anand, most recently chief executive officer of Character.AI, as senior executive vice president and chief technology officer, effective Oct. 2. The newly created role will report directly to Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro and is designed to sharpen the company’s technology strategy across the enterprise.

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A New Technology Mandate At Disney

Anand will oversee enterprise technology, infrastructure, data and artificial intelligence platforms, as well as product and engineering. Disney said he will work across technical teams to modernize how the company builds and delivers technology across the business.

“Karandeep brings a rare mix of experience across infrastructure, consumer technology and AI, and will be a vital addition to Disney’s senior leadership team as we further our three priorities: great storytelling as our North Star, technology in service of creativity, and operating as One Disney,” D’Amaro said in the company’s announcement.

The hire reflects a broader strategic shift under D’Amaro, who has emphasized that Disney must use technology not as a support function, but as a growth engine. Since taking the top job, he has focused on reinforcing the company’s strongest businesses — especially streaming and parks — while building new digital capabilities that can extend Disney’s intellectual property across more consumer touchpoints.

Streaming Sits At The Center

Disney+ remains central to that plan. D’Amaro has said the company is considering a free, ad-supported tier for the service as a potential “front porch” to bring more consumers into the ecosystem. The idea underscores a broader push to turn Disney+ into more than a subscription platform.

On Thursday, Disney also named Adam Smith chairman of direct-to-consumer for Disney Entertainment, further signaling the importance of streaming in the company’s next phase of growth.

Executives have also suggested that shopping and streaming will become more tightly connected on Disney+, with more details expected in the spring. At an investor conference earlier this month, CFO Hugh Johnston described the effort as an “integrated ecosystem” under the Disney+ banner — one that could bring together films, television, consumer products, parks, cruises and gaming through Disney’s vast library of intellectual property.

Why Character.AI Matters

Anand joins Disney from Character.AI, a platform that lets users create and interact with character-based chatbots. Disney said he led the company through a period of rapid growth while keeping user trust and safety at the forefront. In addition to Anand, Disney is also bringing in members of Character.AI’s technical team.

His background spans consumer technology, infrastructure and financial technology, with prior roles at Brex and Meta’s Facebook. That combination appears to fit Disney’s ambitions as it seeks to modernize internal systems while also building more personalized, scalable consumer experiences.

The move is also notable given Disney’s complicated history with Character.AI. Last year, Disney sent the startup a cease-and-desist letter over the use of copyrighted characters without authorization. Character.AI later said it removed the characters referenced in Disney’s complaint.

Still, the appointment suggests Disney is prepared to lean into the very technologies it once challenged — provided they can be used to reinforce its core assets and extend the value of its intellectual property. In an entertainment market increasingly shaped by AI, platform design and consumer data, that may prove to be a competitive necessity rather than an option.

Company websites: The Walt Disney Company, Character.AI

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EU Agrees On Major Overhaul Of Financial Market Supervision

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

October 9, 2026

European Union finance ministers have reached agreement on a sweeping package designed to strengthen oversight of the bloc’s financial markets, in a move aimed at reducing fragmentation and improving the flow of capital across borders.

A Push To Deepen Capital Markets

The Market Integration and Supervision Package, or MISP, would grant the European Securities and Markets Authority direct supervision over major market operators that are currently regulated by national authorities. The reforms are intended to make Europe’s capital markets more integrated, more efficient and better able to channel savings into productive investment.

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According to the Irish presidency, the package is meant to help savings and investments move more freely across the European Union, improving access to finance for companies while giving households broader opportunities to earn returns on their savings.

What The Reform Would Change

Under the new framework, ESMA would take direct oversight of key trading venues, clearing houses, securities settlement bodies and crypto-asset service providers. The package would also establish a permanent, independent executive board within the regulator, strengthening its institutional capacity.

Market operators would be able to opt into a new EU-wide operating framework. In parallel, the reforms would seek to make national supervision more consistent and update rules governing trading, transaction completion, investment management and the use of blockchain technology.

Why The Agreement Matters

Supporters of deeper capital markets argue that Europe has long paid a price for regulatory inconsistency. While many rules are harmonised across the bloc, differences in enforcement and supervision have contributed to a patchwork system that can make cross-border investment slower and more costly.

A more integrated framework, proponents say, could lower costs for companies seeking funding and broaden the menu of investment options available to savers and institutional investors alike.

Outstanding Questions Remain

Despite the broad agreement, some important details remain unresolved. Trading venues operated by Deutsche Börse, the company behind the Frankfurt stock exchange, may remain outside ESMA’s direct supervision.

Euronews previously reported that Germany had secured an exemption for Deutsche Börse’s domestically focused trading venues, leaving part of the system under regional supervision. The latest announcement did not clarify whether that arrangement will stand.

A Step Forward For The Savings And Investments Union

Dutch Finance Minister Eelco Heinen welcomed the deal, calling it a major advance for the Capital Markets Union and saying Europe had made more progress in 10 months than in the previous 10 years.

The agreement is an important milestone in the Savings and Investments Union, the EU’s broader effort to channel more of Europeans’ savings into investments that can support growth, innovation and competitiveness across the bloc.