After the second quarter’s revenue beat, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky shared his thoughts on the company’s AI strategy, warning investors that AI Chatbots still can’t be considered a “new Google.” This means that while AI chatbots can lead new leads into the travel and services business, they are not entirely replacing the referrals that dominant search engines bring.
At least not at this time.
“I think we still feel the space,” the executive told investors during a second-quarter revenue call. “My warning is that I don’t think AI agents should think of chatbots like Google. I don’t think they should still be thinking of as the ‘new Google’. ”
This is explained because the AI model is not “unique.”
“We also need to remember that the electric model of ChatGPT is not unique. This isn’t dedicated to ChatGpt. Airbnb can also use the API, and there are other models that can be used,” he said.
Drawing a wider picture of the AI landscape, Chesky said there are chatbots and other AI agents as well as custom-built startups designed for specific applications and other incumbents who have moved to AI.
“One thing we noticed is that it’s not enough. We just have the best models. We need to tune the models and build custom interfaces for the right applications. I think that’s important,” he said.
TechCrunch Events
San Francisco
|
October 27th-29th, 2025
The company told investors it would consider using AI in a variety of ways.
Airbnb shared during the call, for example, that American AI customer service agents have reduced the percentage of guests contacting human agents by 15%. This was actually more difficult than working on lower fruits that included planning and inspiration for a trip. They must always be accurate and kind.
Airbnb’s customer service agents are built using 13 different models, trained in tens of thousands of conversations, and may now be available in English in the US. Airbnb will roll it out in more languages and become more personalized and agent next year. This means you can understand whether someone will reach out to cancel your reservation. It can not only tell them how to do it, but it can also do it for them. Agents can also help you plan and book your trip.
Additionally, AI will be coming to Airbnb’s search next year, the CEO said.
However, the company has not fully embodied its plans to work with third-party AI agents, but is considering it. Users still need an Airbnb account to make a reservation.
For this reason, Cesky doesn’t think Agent AI will turn business into a product. Instead, he sees AI as a “potentially interesting lead generation” for the company.
“The important thing is, I think it will be the first place we can book a trip with Airbnb. I think it’s definitely open to us as to whether we’re integrating with AI agents,” he said.
Airbnb beat quarterly analyst expectations, earnings of $3.1 billion and earnings per share of $1.03, but the stock fell on forecasts of slow growth in the second half of the year.
Source link
