Disney is an entertainment company whose franchises include Mickey, Marvel and Star Wars, and it recently named Karandeep Anand as its first chief technology officer. Coverage has focused on AI: Disney said AI will be key to those franchises, plans to pay $60M a year for 66 Character.AI employees and holds a $20M non-exclusive technology license from the startup, which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Epic Games also labeled its Marvel and Star Wars game an "AI first" project, while unions including SAG-AFTRA and WGAE pressed for attention to current AI harms.
Disney says AI will be key to Mickey, Marvel and Star Wars futureDisney confirmed that artificial intelligence will play a key role in the future of franchises including Mickey, Marvel and Star Wars; the report gave no details on investment or specific uses.
Disney's $60M Character.AI deal headlines week in techDisney plans to pay $60M annually for 66 Character.AI employees, per a Chapter 11 filing by the startup's parent. Meanwhile Meta denied political bias in Brazil, TSMC shares fell despite record profits, and Apple reportedly plans a limited Apple Intelligence launch in China with iOS 27.3 in December.
Character.ai Files for Bankruptcy ProtectionAI chatbot firm Character.ai filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and is seeking a buyer, losing $8 million a month, with assets and liabilities estimated at $50M-$100M; it granted Disney a non-exclusive technology license for $20 million.
Character.AI files for bankruptcy, selling assets to DisneyCharacter.AI, an early generative AI standout, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US to facilitate the sale of the company and its assets, with some assets going to Disney. The startup faced lawsuits over chatbot safety but continued releasing updates and products.
Epic Games tells employees to use AI for Disney gameEpic Games has made its Marvel and Star Wars Disney game an "AI first" project after delays; the company, which laid off 1,000 employees, told staff there would be no more hand-written code and that the game would use full AI workflows, reportedly stunning employees.
Goldman M&A Banker Helped Bring Olympics to LAAmid an AI-driven megadeal era, Goldman Sachs M&A co-head Gene Sykes has worked on famous deals and spearheaded LA's successful bid for the 2028 Olympics. He discusses financing and parallels to the early 2000s TMT environment.
Disney names first-ever CTOWalt Disney Co. named Karandeep Anand to the newly created role of chief technology officer, marking the entertainment giant's first-ever CTO appointment.
Hollywood unions urge focus on AI's current harmsAs tech leaders warn AI could destroy humanity, entertainment labor groups like SAG-AFTRA and WGAE urge the public to focus on harms already happening, such as job and rights issues. Studios using AI, including Disney and Netflix, did not respond to requests for comment.
Lawsuit: Meta Glasses Shared Intimate ImagesThe LA Times reports more than 70 people sued Meta, alleging its smart glasses recorded intimate footage without consent and that contractors in Kenya reviewed and labeled the content; one claimant, identified as PL18, details unexpected bathroom footage appearing in their gallery.
The A.I. Daily