Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is launching a new artificial intelligence lab, marking the company’s first foray into the global AI race, according to people familiar with the matter.
Mr. Chesky plans to form an AI venture to develop artificial intelligence models and is considering focusing on user interaction and design, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. One of the people said he is in the early stages of funding the lab and details are subject to change.
Mr. Chesky will remain CEO of Airbnb, people familiar with the matter said. One person familiar with the matter said he would not become the new institute’s chief executive.
Chesky co-founded Airbnb about 20 years ago after studying design in college. In recent years, he has often said that AI applications for travel and e-commerce require rich user interfaces, rather than the kind of text-based chatbots popularized by OpenAI and Anthropic PBC. Unlike online travel rivals Expedia Group and Booking Holdings, Airbnb has not partnered with OpenAI to create a plug-in within ChatGPT. That’s because Chesky said the AI startup’s tools aren’t robust enough.
Representatives for Chesky and Airbnb declined to comment.
Chesky is in the process of turning Airbnb into a “do-it-all” travel app, including new add-on services that he hopes could eventually bring in more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Chesky said in an interview last month that Airbnb employees are leveraging AI coding tools to accelerate expansion, and pilots for new businesses are launching in weeks instead of years.
As the rare founder and CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Chesky has been deeply involved in setting Airbnb’s product and business vision. His hands-on approach inspired entrepreneur and investor Paul Graham to coin the term “Founder Mode” in 2024.
