Disney agrees to hire the majority of Character.AI’s workforce
techcrunch ·
Following Character.AI's bankruptcy filing, Disney has agreed to hire the majority of the startup's workforce. A legal filing reveals that Disney will make employment offers to at least 60 employees, representing most of the staff, with an estimated annual compensation package totaling $60 million. The vast majority of these employees have already accepted the job offers from the entertainment giant. This acquisition includes a stalking horse bid, meaning another company could potentially submit a higher offer for the assets. Former Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand has joined Disney as its first Chief Technology Officer. The chatbot company previously stated that Disney acquired some of its assets for $20 million. Character.AI faced significant challenges, including high operational costs and regulatory scrutiny over child safety concerns. Additionally, the company was involved in litigation regarding a user's tragic interaction with one of its bots.
techcrunch