DisneyFollowing the news that Disney had signed a $1 billion deal with OpenAI, a first look at DisneyGPT – the new AI tool for employees – has been revealed, as well as plans for an Iron Man inspired chatbot.
Amid the ongoing artificial intelligence debate, Disney and Universal filed a lawsuit against generative AI firm Midjourney earlier this year, alleging that it “helped itself to countless” copyrighted works to train its models.
However, the House of Mouse isn’t against utilizing the technology. Last week, the media giant confirmed it had entered a three-year licensing agreement with OpenAI that gives Sora access to more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters.
Now, we’re seeing how Disney is applying AI internally with a series of tools, including a Disneyfied version of ChatGPT for its paid staffers.
Disney reveals DisneyGPT for employees
As first reported by Business Insider, DisneyGPT is a new chatbot that uses Walt Disney quotes. Four employees told the outlet that it helps with internal requests with tasks like creating IT support tickets, looking at the workplace roster, and analyzing financials.
As per the tool’s December update, it kicks off by saying, “Hey Mickey” and asks users if they’re “ready for an enchanting adventure.” It also offers a “verified collection of Walt Disney quotes” that are “tagged by themes like imagination, perseverance, and leadership.”
Disney first introduced the beta version of DisneyGPT in October, where it was described as a “new partner in productivity.” The updated version allows staffers to upload Excel and PowerPoint files.
Other than the House of Mouse quotes and features, sources told Business Insider that it’s mostly a standard AI chatbot. But they did reveal that there’s another internal AI chatbot in development nicknamed “Jarvis”.
If that sounds familiar to you, that’s because Iron Man’s sophisticated AI assistant is also named J.A.R.V.I.S. Living up to its moniker (which stands for ‘Just a Rather Very Intelligent System’), this tool is set to be more advanced than DisneyGPT, completing tasks on a worker’s behalf.
Related
UnsplashThe insider said Jarvis is still in its early stages and is “not fully baked.” But as a longtime software engineer at Disney pointed out, the company is changing its stance on AI by embracing it.
After initially being “hesitant to rely on AI tools… they clearly see where things are headed,” the staffer stated, while a manager added, “It’s definitely something they want to push for everyone to lean into more.”
Disney’s deal with OpenAI marks the first of its kind, proving the House of Mouse isn’t afraid to innovate. Sora and ChatGPT Images are expected to begin generating fan-inspired videos using Disney’s multi-brand characters in early 2026.
However, one of the employees did warn that it’s important to balance technology with human creativity. “If you use AI everywhere, it’s going to be counterproductive,” they said.
This was something that was reflected by CEO Bob Iger in the announcement of its OpenAI deal. “Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world,” he wrote.
“The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works.
“Bringing together Disney’s iconic stories and characters with OpenAI’s groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we’ve never seen before.”
Disney’s AI plans spark debate
DisneyThe news has sparked a lively discussion among netizens, with one sharing the first look at DisneyGPT and Jarvis on Reddit. “This confirms that the $1 billion OpenAI investment wasn’t just for ‘Sora’ videos. Disney is fundamentally re-architecting its internal workflow around Agentic AI,” they wrote.
“If Disney is building ‘JARVIS’ for employees, how long until we get a consumer version of a Disney Agent that plans our entire vacation?”
“The DisneyGPT thing sounds super useful and actually is a good use case. Disney (and Marvel and Pixar) has decades of experience and knowledge base. This is a chance to make it actually usable,” said one in response.
“Imagine cataloging the entire behind the scenes of an Iron Man movie. A Disney theme park designer requires the exact painting techniques to recreate Iron Man’s red shine for a ride theming.
“If it’s documented he will be able to search and find it. If it’s not possible, he can work with the AI to find ways to recreate it.”
UnsplashHowever, others aren’t as impressed, including this person who said, “Every single multinational company that’s trying to do AI is doing this. An internal chatbot that’s fed all their internal documents in the short-term, autonomous agents to do stuff like generating reports or getting insights from sales in the long-term.
“This is not revolutionary or new. It’s kind of boring, actually, given that every one of them is doing this. The most significant value add that AI gives to companies is always knowledge management and automation.”
And then there are those who are concerned about what impact this could have on the creative process. “Automated artwork,” said one. “Something that no one needed and has nothing to do with the singularity. It does nothing but degrade human achievement.”
For more AI news, read about New York’s landmark law to regulate AI performers, the fully AI-generated reality show Non Player Combat, and what James Cameron thinks about AI actors.