Airbnb has launched an AI-powered search feature as part of its recent fall update. CEO Brian Chesky stated that the company is moving toward making its application more agentic, with plans to introduce voice agents later this fall for search and customer service tasks.
Chesky expressed skepticism regarding chatbot-only interfaces for e-commerce, noting that they lack collaborative features for group travel planning. The company is currently exploring 'multiplayer' AI interfaces that would allow multiple users to interact with the platform simultaneously.
The CEO emphasized that the industry lacks a dedicated operating system for AI, which hinders the effectiveness of consumer AI agents. He argued that for agents to function properly, they require a robust software developer kit and a substrate that allows for interoperability between different applications.
Chesky believes that while apps will remain central as long as platforms like iOS and Android dominate, they must evolve into interoperable agents. He noted that Airbnb is developing internal agents for its explore tab and customer service, with a potential future 'macro' agent.
