Walt Disney, an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate, is reportedly forming a new group to coordinate its use of artificial intelligence (AI) and mixed reality (MR) technologies across its film, television, and theme park sectors.
According to the reports, the newly formed “Office of Technology Enablement” will be led by Jamie Voris, the film studio’s chief technology officer who spearheaded the development of Disney’s app for the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality device. Eddie Drake will succeed Voris as the studio’s CTO.
Instead of centralizing projects, the unit will focus on ensuring that technology initiatives across Disney’s different divisions are aligned with the company’s overarching goals.
The new unit is expected to start with a core team and grow to about 100 employees. Disney has been building expertise across the organization to capitalize on the emerging technology, as per the reports.
Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman noted that, “The pace and scope of the advances in AI and XR (extended reality) are profound and will continue to impact consumer experiences, creative endeavors, and our businesses for years to come – making it critical that Disney explore the exciting opportunities and navigate the potential risks. The creation of this group underscores our dedication to doing that.”
Bergman further added that the unit will focus on fast-moving areas of technology, such as AI and mixed reality, which blends the physical and digital worlds. It will not centralize work on these projects, but rather, ensure the various projects around the company fit with its broader strategy.
