Disney to form new business unit dedicated to AI: report

Disney is stepping up its AI efforts with the creation of the 'Office of Technology Enablement', a new business unit to drive tech integration across its film, TV, and theme park divisions, according to a Reuters report. 

As per an official memo seen by Reuters, the new office will be helmed by Jamie Voris, Disney's former film studio CTO, known for his work on Disney's app for Apple's Vision Pro mixed reality headset. Voris will now report directly to Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman, who emphasised the strategic importance of AI in the memo. 

"The pace and scope of the advances in AI and XR (extended reality) are profound and will continue to impact consumer experiences, creative endeavours, and our businesses for years to come," Bergman wrote in the memo, as reported by Reuters.

Disney's approach with this business unit is to coordinate AI and XR projects across various divisions without centralising them, says the report. The Office of Technology Enablement will launch with a core team and is expected to expand to approximately 100 employees, which will guide the aforementioned AI integration.

Beyond AI, Disney has been strengthening its efforts in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR), further states Reuters. These immersive technologies are increasingly central to Disney's content and park experiences, and the company has been developing expertise across its units to make use of these tools, the report says. 

Disney's latest moves come amid an industry-wide surge in interest in AR/VR headsets, with sales totalling 1.7 million units this year. While Meta currently leads the AR/VR market, competitors like Apple, Sony, and ByteDance are beginning to catch up, fueling demand and innovation in the field.