Airbnb’s Chesky Plans AI Lab as Travel Apps Race Past Chatbots

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is planning to back a new AI lab, according to Bloomberg reporting.

The project is still early, and Airbnb has not officially announced its name, launch date, leadership team, or funding details.

Chesky is expected to stay as Airbnb’s CEO and not run the new lab himself. The project may focus on AI models, design, and how people interact with AI products. Chesky has often positioned Airbnb as a design-led company, not only a booking marketplace.

Airbnb is already using AI

Airbnb has already added more AI to its own platform. In its Q1 2026 results, the company said revenue grew 18 percent year over year to $2.7 billion, supported by strong demand and higher booking value. The company has also been using AI to help improve product development and operations.

Its 2026 Summer Release expanded AI-powered customer support worldwide. The assistant is now available in 11 languages, can use trip details, and includes interactive cards that let users solve issues inside the chat. Airbnb said voice support will be added later in 2026.

Airbnb has already been building an AI agent to keep more customer activity inside its own platform, starting with customer support and gradually moving toward trip assistance.

Photo by Douglas Schneiders on Unsplash