Disney to Allocate $180 Million to Hire 66 Former Character.AI Employees
Disney announced a three-year $180 million plan to retain 66 staff members from the bankrupt chatbot startup Character.AI, part of its broader restructuring and AI strategy.
Disney said it will spend about $180 million over the next three years to compensate and retain 66 employees from the recently bankrupt chatbot company Character.AI. The hires represent most of Character.AI’s 86-person workforce at the end of September and will join the studio following the former startup chief executive, Karandeep Anand, who was appointed Disney’s first company-wide chief technology officer.
The move comes after Disney’s ongoing restructuring, which has included multiple rounds of layoffs earlier in the year and a plan to limit spousal health coverage starting in 2027. Despite the workforce reductions, the entertainment conglomerate reported a 21% rise in fiscal third-quarter operating income to $5.6 billion and increased its share-buyback target to at least $9 billion.
In addition to the talent acquisition, Disney offered $20 million for a non-exclusive, perpetual license to select intellectual property and claims from Character.AI, pending approval through the bankruptcy sale process.