In his first interview as the incoming CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Josh D’Amaro discussed the role artificial intelligence will play in the company’s future under his leadership, promising that it won’t replace human creativity. As AI has advanced, in the hands of both consumers and professionals, the new technology has caused growing concern within the industry.
Josh D’Amaro says AI will NOT replace human creativity while he is Disney CEO:
“The reason this company is so special is because of how creative we are, and the human beings that are generating that creativity. In my mind, that never gets replaced.” pic.twitter.com/m7Pb99ugSI
— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) February 4, 2026
When asked about AI on the Disney-owned ABC’s World News Tonight, D’Amaro appeared to offer some reassurance. He said that Disney “is so special because of how creative we are and human beings that are generating that creativity. In my mind, that never gets replaced.”
Disney’s AI Investments and Content Strategy
As D’Amaro assumes leadership, his position on AI is one issue among many that may be of particular interest to investors and Disney creatives. It’s agreed that the new technology is here to stay. However, its application, and how it will affect workers, has become extremely controversial. Those two realities have created a delicate needle for D’Amaro to thread. As a company, Disney must balance cost-saving opportunities with creativity. Yet as a brand, Disney has traditionally celebrated human ingenuity and creativity.
Writers, VFX artists, and animators are already seeing changes to their workflow, and AI-assistance is reducing staffing needs. As union negotiations have made clear, workers want guard rails around the usage of the new technology to make sure they aren’t replaced. However, the danger of replacement extends beyond in-house staff to the very audience they were hired to entertain.
Josh D’Amaro by Cinderella Castle – Disney
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D’Amaro’s predecessor, Bob Iger, committed Disney to a massive $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI, along with warrants for additional equity. Under the three-year licensing deal, OpenAI’s Sora video generator can now produce short, user-prompted videos featuring Disney’s most popular characters that do not feature an actor’s voice or likeness.
The whole gang from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – Disney+
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As part of the arrangement, Disney+ is set to feature curated selections of Sora-generated fan-inspired videos. The company will undoubtedly use AI software in its official content, even as it encourages audience-created works. AI is already changing the media landscape, not in some distant future. D’Amaro noted that AI “isn’t even theory anymore. This is real, it’s something that we’re embracing.”
AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement
However, even as Disney leverages what it believes AI can offer, D’Amaro said he sees it as a tool. “If you ever walk over to studios today and see [artists] using AI, harnessing 70 years of history, this is when the Walt Disney Company thrives, when technology intersects with brilliant people and creativity, and we’re in that moment right now.”
Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro via Disney Parks YouTube
By emphasizing that human creativity will not be replaced by AI, D’Amaro is making an absolute statement about reality which projects calm during a time of transition. The narrative he is creating isn’t about the future of AI policy within Disney, but one of stewardship. As the new public face of the company, D’Amaro has positioned himself as the calm, forward-thinking guardian of the spirit of the company—a company able to seamlessly blend its history, human creativity, and new technology.
As a legacy studio, Disney and D’Amaro have a long-standing image to protect. Disney has rarely, if ever, been seen as a disrupter, but as a reassuring presence. Economic pressures may challenge D’Amaro’s assurances that human creativity remains irreplaceable. How the company chooses to deploy AI will define the company’s future and test his leadership.
What do you think of Josh D’Amaro and his take on AI at Disney? Sound off in the comments!
