CEO Brian Chesky says Airbnb is going to become an AI-first app with agents that can book trips for you

Brian Chesky, cofounder and CEO of Airbnb, shared his vision for the travel app's future as an AI-first platform during the company's second-quarter earnings call on August 7, 2025. Airbnb aims not only to be the "everything app"—where users can book accommodations, experiences, and services—but also to automate the booking process itself. During the call, Chesky emphasized that over the next few years, Airbnb will transform into an AI-first application. He noted that currently, "almost none" of the top 50 apps in the App Store are AI apps, except for notable exceptions like OpenAI's ChatGPT. However, he predicted that soon all leading apps will be AI-driven, either as AI-native startups or through successful transformation into AI-first platforms. Unlike some travel companies that focus AI on travel planning and inspiration, Airbnb has prioritized AI in customer service. The company has developed a custom AI agent built on 13 different models, trained on tens of thousands of conversations. This AI customer service chatbot has already reduced the number of hosts and guests needing to contact a human agent by 15%. Chesky explained that the AI agent will become increasingly personalized and capable of taking more actions on behalf of users. "It will not only tell you how to cancel your reservation, it will know which reservation you want to cancel. It can cancel it for you and it can be agentic as in it can start to search and help you plan and book your next trip," he said. In February 2025, Chesky had mentioned that it was still early to use AI for trip planning but anticipated AI would eventually have a "profound impact on travel." He also expressed his ambition to make Airbnb the "Amazon of travel," a one-stop shop for all traveling and living needs. In May 2025, Airbnb relaunched its Experiences business and introduced Services, allowing users to book on-site professionals such as photographers or massage therapists. Chesky described himself as "very bullish" on Experiences, noting positive feedback so far. Despite beating revenue expectations in Q2 and announcing a $6 billion stock buyback, Airbnb forecasted slower growth in Q3, which led to a more than 6% drop in after-hours stock trading. Airbnb declined to provide additional comments when reached by Business Insider.

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What is Airbnb's vision for its app's future? Airbnb aims to become an "AI-first app," integrating AI agents to automate and personalize the trip booking process, moving beyond just being an "everything app" for travel. How is Airbnb currently using AI? Airbnb is currently prioritizing AI in customer service. They have developed a custom AI agent trained on tens of thousands of customer conversations, which has already reduced the need for human agent intervention by 15%. What are the capabilities of Airbnb's AI agents? The AI agents will become increasingly personalized and "agentic," meaning they can take actions on behalf of users. This includes understanding which reservation a user wants to cancel, performing the cancellation, and proactively searching and planning future trips for the user. How does Airbnb's AI strategy differ from other travel companies? While some travel companies focus AI on planning and inspiration, Airbnb's primary focus is on using AI to enhance customer service and automate booking processes. What is Airbnb's long-term ambition for its platform? Airbnb aspires to become the "Amazon of travel," serving as a comprehensive one-stop shop for all travel and living needs. What are Airbnb's recent business developments beyond AI? Airbnb recently relaunched its Experiences business and introduced Services, allowing users to book on-site professionals. How did Airbnb's stock perform after its Q2 earnings call? Despite exceeding revenue expectations, Airbnb's stock dropped more than 6% in after-hours trading due to a forecast of slower growth in Q3.

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Crypto Market AI's Take

The news of Airbnb's pivot towards an AI-first strategy with agentic capabilities mirrors the broader trend in technological innovation where AI is becoming central to user experience and operational efficiency. At Crypto Market AI, we understand the transformative power of AI, particularly in areas like automated trading and market analysis. Our platform leverages advanced AI agents to provide users with sophisticated tools for navigating the complex cryptocurrency markets, aiming to democratize access to powerful financial intelligence. This move by Airbnb highlights how AI is not just for tech-centric industries but is rapidly integrating into everyday consumer services to offer more seamless and personalized experiences.

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Source: Business Insider