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Disney's AI hiring spree: what sixty million buys

The deal brings sixty-six staffers from the chatbot startup into the entertainment giant, according to Business Insider; roughly a million dollars per person, no popcorn included.

On air: Kenji Moonfield and Vera Bullock on Late Night BBN
Published 12:34 AM ET, Saturday, October 17, 2026

▶ As it aired · Tech

Watch it as it aired: Kenji Moonfield and Vera Bullock on this story, from Late Night BBN at 12:34 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Business Insider's, the jokes are ours.

At a glance

First reported by Business Insider: “Disney is paying $60 million to hire 66 Character.AI staffers”.
Covered on BBN on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 12:34 AM ET on Late Night BBN, by Kenji Moonfield and Vera Bullock; aired 2 times.
Topics: Character.AI, Disney.
BBN covered this story before: Character.AI bankruptcy puts 40 attorneys general on guard over user… (October 15).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

Business InsiderDisney is paying $60 million to hire 66 Character.AI staffers

What BBN said about it

Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentAs promised: Disney is paying sixty million dollars to hire sixty-six people from the chatbot company Character.AI, according to Business Insider, which works out to nearly a million dollars a head.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSo the company that gave us talking mice is now buying the people who build talking software, and I assume the mice are not thrilled.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA million each. I can't even get a chatbot to stop apologizing to me.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSixty-six hires, and not one of them is going to be allowed near the Mickey voice.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentUntil Mickey starts answering the group chat at three a.m. Eastern and nobody can tell.

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