Airbnb plans to bake in AI features for search, discovery and support

Airbnb is set to revolutionize its platform by integrating advanced AI capabilities, as announced by CEO Brian Chesky during a recent conference call. The company aims to implement features driven by large language models (LLMs), enhancing the way users search for listings, plan trips, and assist hosts in managing their properties. Chesky emphasized the vision of creating an 'AI-native experience' where the application understands individual users, enabling it to facilitate trip planning for guests and streamline operations for hosts. He stated, "We are building an AI-native experience where the app does not just search for you. It knows you." One of the exciting prospects is a new feature allowing users to pose natural language questions about properties and locations. Currently, Airbnb’s customer service is partially powered by LLM technology, providing a personalized touch in communications. The anticipated AI search function is expected to evolve into a more intuitive experience throughout the trip process. When analysts inquired about the potential for sponsored listings in the AI search results, Chesky noted that the company’s priority is to perfect the user experience before considering monetization strategies. He mentioned, "AI search is live to a very small percentage of traffic right now. We are doing a lot of experimentation." Chesky also highlighted the company’s strategy to leverage the expertise of its new CTO, Ahmad Al-Dahle, who previously worked on Meta’s Llama models. This collaboration aims to utilize Airbnb’s extensive data on user identity and reviews to enhance the app's functionality. The existing AI-driven customer support bot, which was launched in North America last year, now resolves a significant portion of customer inquiries independently. Chesky revealed plans to enable users to interact with the AI bot via voice calls and expand its language capabilities. With a strong focus on increasing AI usage within the company, Chesky shared that currently, 80% of Airbnb’s engineers employ AI tools, with aspirations to reach full utilization. The company also reported impressive fourth-quarter revenue of $2.78 billion, a 12% increase compared to the previous year, indicating a robust growth trajectory amid its AI advancements.