Disney’s billion-dollar OpenAI deal isn’t the only way the company is embracing AI. In recent months, the Mouse House has been quietly adding new AI tools to its arsenal and encouraging staff to use them.
“They clearly see where things are headed,” a longtime software engineer at Disney said. This marked a shift from this summer, when Disney had seemed “hesitant to rely on AI tools,” they said.
Disney has given its employees access to several AI tools, including Microsoft Copilot and Amazon’s Q Developer. Thanks to Disney’s OpenAI deal, employees will also soon have access to the enterprise version of ChatGPT, the company said.
Then there’s a “DisneyGPT” chatbot that four staffers said helps with internal requests, such as creating IT support tickets, viewing the company roster, or analyzing a project’s financials.
In an email sent to staff on October 2, Disney introduced the beta version of the chatbot, describing it as a “new partner in productivity” designed to help “unlock the magic of your imagination.” A December update enabled employees to upload Excel and PowerPoint files to the bot.
DisneyGPT draws on signature Disney themes, with a prompt asking users if they’re “ready for an enchanting adventure” and “a verified collection of Walt Disney quotes” that are “tagged by themes like imagination, perseverance, and leadership,” according to the chatbot’s December update log. Otherwise, employees said DisneyGPT is mostly a standard AI chatbot.
There’s also an AI chatbot in the works codenamed “Jarvis,” four employees said. Jarvis, named for the personal assistant “J.A.R.V.I.S.” from “Iron Man,” would be an agentic AI tool — more advanced than DisneyGPT — that completes tasks on an employee’s behalf, a high-level staffer with direct knowledge of the company’s AI efforts said. This person said Jarvis is in its early stages and is “not fully baked.”
“It’s definitely something they want to push for everyone to lean into more,” a Disney manager said of AI.
Companies in every industry are racing to adopt AI tools to boost productivity. Disney is going further than many, however. The OpenAI deal makes Disney the first major entertainment company to invest in the AI juggernaut, and allows its beloved characters to be used in the video generator Sora.
This reflects Disney’s long tradition of merging innovation and entertainment, dating back to its founder, Walt.
Three of the eight Disney employees who spoke with Business Insider expressed concerns about using AI, specifically that it could replace humans and threaten job security.
The high-level employee with direct knowledge of Disney’s AI strategy said that while AI is a “top priority,” it isn’t a cure-all. It can make mistakes and lacks a “personalized touch” that people provide, they said.
“If you use AI everywhere, it’s going to be counterproductive,” this person said, adding that tasks still need human creativity.
Disney spokespeople didn’t respond to several requests for comment on its internal AI efforts.
On an internal Disney website explaining its AI policy and tools, the company said it employs a “responsible and human-centric approach to using AI.”
“That means humans are, and will remain, the creative engine of the company,” Disney said on the site. “We believe, fundamentally, that human creativity and curiosity are immense and unique — and are at the heart of Disney.”
“Simultaneously, our consistent embrace of new technologies has been a key part of empowering our creators and maintaining our leadership in creativity and innovation,” the company continued in its “Responsible AI Use” section.
How Disney employees use and see AI
Seven of the eight Disney staffers Business Insider interviewed have tried or regularly use DisneyGPT or Copilot, which is integrated into employees’ email accounts and documents. Many use those AI tools for simple, routine tasks, like writing emails.
Disney has a portal on its website that outlines its AI policy and lists Disney-approved AI tools. Two employees said the company has pointed staffers to AI education or compliance training courses.
Some unsanctioned AI tools like Anthropic’s Claude can be more effective than Disney-approved AI tools, three staffers said.
One employee at Disney-owned ESPN said their manager told them they could use personal accounts on non-approved AI chatbots for work.
“I’m just using a personal account because Disney isn’t allowing us to use these tools yet,” the ESPN employee said.
The staffer with direct knowledge of Disney’s AI efforts said leadership had tried to make communications about AI “clear across the board,” but acknowledged that workers might not “understand the implications” of data security risks that could arise from using unsanctioned AI tools. Some staffers told Business Insider it was hard for them to keep up with the availability and restrictions on various AI tools.
While some Disney employees expressed mixed feelings about AI, the more bullish among them said Disney was wise to strike a deal with OpenAI.
“This type of a partnership at least establishes the precedent for getting paid,” the ESPN employee said.
A Disney ads employee said they believed Disney’s deal with OpenAI would “pay off” and “be massive” in five to 10 years, even if there are growing pains.
“Disney is smart to push into this,” this staffer said. “They are setting the rules of the game, or at least trying.”
Read the full article here
