Airbnb CEO: AI Agents Won't Replace Google Search

Following a strong second-quarter earnings performance, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky discussed the company's AI approach, advising investors not to view AI chatbots as the "new Google" just yet. While these chatbots may generate new leads for the travel and services sector, they aren't a complete substitute for the visibility provided by the dominant search engine.

At least not for now.

"We're still exploring the possibilities in this area," Chesky told investors during the Q2 earnings call. "What I want to emphasize is that we shouldn't think of AI agents or chatbots as Google—they aren't the 'new Google' at this stage."

Chesky noted that this is because AI models aren't exclusive to any single platform.

"It's important to remember that the model behind ChatGPT isn't proprietary. It's not limited to ChatGPT. We at Airbnb can also access the API, and there are other models available to us," he explained.

He outlined a broader AI landscape that includes chatbots and other AI agents, specialized startups built for specific uses, and established companies that have integrated AI into their operations.

"We've learned that having the best model isn't enough. You need to fine-tune the model and design a custom interface for the right application. That's the essential part," he added.

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The company informed investors that it plans to leverage AI in multiple areas.

During the call, Airbnb revealed that its AI customer service agent in the U.S. lowered the rate of guests needing human support by 15%. Chesky pointed out that this was more challenging than addressing simpler travel planning tasks, as AI in customer service must be consistently accurate and helpful—it can't afford to make mistakes.

Airbnb's customer service agent was developed using 13 different models and trained on tens of thousands of conversations. It's currently available in English in the U.S., with plans to expand to more languages this year. Next year, the agent will become more personalized and proactive, enabling it to handle tasks like canceling reservations or assisting with trip planning and booking.

Additionally, Chesky mentioned that AI will be integrated into Airbnb's search functionality next year.

The company is still evaluating partnerships with third-party AI agents, though nothing is finalized. Users still need an Airbnb account to complete bookings.

As a result, Chesky doesn't believe AI will commoditize their business in the way flight booking has. Instead, he sees AI as a promising source of new leads.

"Our priority is to position Airbnb as the go-to platform for travel bookings. As for integrating with AI agents, that's something we're definitely open to," he said.

Airbnb exceeded analyst expectations in the quarter, reporting $3.1 billion in revenue and earnings per share of $1.03. However, the stock declined due to projections of slower growth in the latter half of the year.