AI agents aren’t the ‘new Google,’ says Airbnb CEO

After a second-quarter earnings beat, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky shared his ideas on the corporate’s AI technique, cautioning traders that AI chatbots can’t but be considered the “new Google.” That’s, AI chatbots, whereas probably driving new results in the journey and providers enterprise, aren’t totally a alternative for the referrals that the dominant search engine brings.

At the least not presently.

“I believe we’re nonetheless type of feeling out the house,” the exec informed traders on the Q2 earnings name. “The factor I need to warning is I don’t assume that AI brokers — I don’t assume we must always consider chatbots like Google — I don’t assume we must always consider them because the ‘new Google’ but.”

This, Chesky defined, is as a result of AI fashions aren’t “proprietary.”

“We additionally need to keep in mind that the mannequin powering ChatGPT is just not proprietary. It’s not unique to ChatGPT. We — Airbnb — also can use the API, and there are different fashions that we will use,” he stated.

Portray a broader image of the AI panorama, Chesky stated that along with chatbots and different AI brokers, there might be custom-built startups designed for particular functions, in addition to different incumbents which have made the shift to AI.

“One of many issues we’ve observed is it’s not sufficient to only have … the most effective mannequin. You’ve got to have the ability to tune the mannequin and construct a {custom} interface for the suitable utility. And I believe that’s the important thing,” he stated.

The corporate informed traders it’s going to look to make the most of AI in a lot of methods.

Airbnb shared through the name that its AI customer support agent within the U.S. decreased the share of company contacting a human agent by 15%, for example. This was really tougher than tackling the lower-hanging fruit involving journey planning and inspiration, Chesky stated, as a result of AI brokers performing customer support can’t hallucinate. They need to be correct and useful always.

Airbnb’s customer support agent was constructed utilizing 13 totally different fashions and skilled on tens of hundreds of conversations, and is at present out there in English within the U.S. This yr, Airbnb will roll it out to extra languages, and subsequent yr, it’s going to change into extra customized and agentic. Meaning it might have the ability to perceive if somebody reaches out to cancel a reservation; not solely wouldn’t it have the ability to inform them how to take action, however it may additionally do it for them. The agent may additionally assist plan and guide journeys.

Plus, AI will come to Airbnb’s search subsequent yr, the CEO stated.

Nonetheless, the corporate has not absolutely fleshed out its plans for working with third-party AI brokers, though it’s contemplating it. Customers nonetheless want an Airbnb account to make a reserving.

Due to this, Chesky doesn’t assume agentic AI would flip its enterprise right into a commodity, the way in which that reserving flights has change into. As an alternative, he sees AI as “probably fascinating lead era” for the corporate.

“I believe the important thing factor goes to be for us to guide and change into the primary place for folks to guide journey on Airbnb. So far as whether or not or not we combine with AI brokers, I believe that’s one thing that we’re actually open to,” he stated.

Airbnb beat analysts’ expectations within the quarter with income of $3.1 billion and earnings per share of $1.03, however the inventory dropped on its forecast of slower progress within the second half of the yr.