Disney's Chief Legal and Global Affairs Officer Horacio Gutierrez has issued a memo warning staff that significant layoffs are imminent as part of a "transformation process" centred on automation and technological restructuring. The message, which circulated widely among the company's employees on 18 September, indicates that the Legal and Global Affairs department will become "much smaller" and acknowledges that "some of you will personally be affected." The memo strongly implies that artificial intelligence and automation will replace certain roles, and comes as the company braces for redundancies expected to begin within the following week.

The Legal and Global Affairs department comprises fewer than 1,000 members globally. Gutierrez outlined the company's plans to explore automation, self-service models, alternative legal providers, and outsourcing to reduce costs. The announcement coincided with Disney's unveiling of its first Chief Technology Officer, Karandeep Anand (formerly of Character.AI), who will report to CEO Josh D'Amaro. This follows previous rounds of job cuts in April and July, along with a voluntary early retirement scheme offered in August—a process typically followed by involuntary redundancies.