Airbnb CEO Chesky says AI writes 60% of code, confirms new AI lab

Brian Chesky, the chief executive of Airbnb ↘ 0.58%, revealed that artificial intelligence now writes 60% of the company's new code and called on Silicon Valley to redirect its AI efforts toward everyday consumers rather than enterprise customers.

AI as Growth Engine

Speaking on Airbnb's August 6 earnings call, Chesky declared that "AI is the best thing to ever happen to Airbnb," citing faster product development and a 60% reduction in time from concept to launch. The company reported $3.6 billion in second-quarter revenue, beating analyst expectations.fortune

Chesky said the company's AI-powered customer service tool now resolves 45% of user inquiries without human intervention, while cutting support costs per booking by 16%. He told CNBC last week that "the winners of AI are going to be the companies that embrace transformation. You might call it founder mode, not manager mode".thenextweb+1

The Consumer AI Gap

In an appearance on Yahoo Finance's Power Players podcast this week, Chesky argued that the tech industry has neglected ordinary users. He pointed to Y Combinator's most recent batch, in which 159 of 175 startups were enterprise-focused rather than consumer-facing.thenextweb

"There's been very little progress on consumer AI," Chesky said. "ChatGPT is about what we've seen". He cited Pew Research data from June showing that 40% of U.S. adults expect AI's societal impact over the next 20 years to be negative, compared with just 16% who expect it to be positive.thenextweb

Chesky, who sits on Y Combinator's board, said founders now seem "afraid" to build for consumers and predicted a "renaissance around consumer AI" within two to three years.thenextweb

Super App Ambitions

Chesky disclosed that Airbnb is roughly 12 to 18 months from becoming a fundamentally larger service, with plans to add rental cars and hotel rooms. Sources close to the matter told Bloomberg the expansion could raise the company's revenue by $1 billion.fortune+1

He also confirmed for the first time that Airbnb has established an AI lab, though he declined to offer details. "I can confirm it exists, but I'm going to not say anything more about it right now," he said.thenextweb

Chesky framed the moment in sweeping terms: "I think we're in the beginning of a thousand-year journey on AI," he told Yahoo Finance. "I think we've barely scratched the surface of what's possible".fortune