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Business · Menlo Park and Burbank, Calif.

Disney agrees to hire most of Character.AI's workforce after the chatbot startup's bankruptcy filing

A filing shows Disney will offer jobs to at least 60 employees, worth an estimated US$60 million a year in pay.

By West Coast News staff ·
The Walt Disney Company arch at the Alameda Avenue entrance to the studios in Burbank
The Alameda Avenue entrance to the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Calif.

Disney has agreed to make employment offers to at least 60 employees of Character.AI, the majority of the chatbot startup’s workforce, according to a court filing after the Menlo Park, Calif., company filed for bankruptcy this week. The offers carry an estimated US$60 million in annual compensation, and the filing says the vast majority of those offered jobs accepted.

Character.AI previously said Disney had agreed to buy some of its assets for US$20 million, and its former CEO, Karandeep Anand, recently became Disney’s first chief technology officer. The Disney agreement is a stalking-horse bid, so another buyer could still come forward with a higher offer.

The filing says that despite a large and engaged user base, Character.AI was hobbled by high costs and potential litigation and regulatory liabilities, including a lawsuit and government investigations over child safety.

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