Airbnb plans AI-native overhaul of search and support

The company is repositioning its app around large language models to deepen personalization, automate service, and reshape discovery

Airbnb says it is moving decisively toward an AI-native product strategy, embedding large language model capabilities into search, trip planning, customer support, and internal operations. CEO Brian Chesky outlined plans to transform the app from a transactional search tool into a personalized assistant that “knows” the user and supports hosts more effectively. Early AI search features are already live for a small percentage of traffic, while the company is expanding automated customer service and experimenting with conversational discovery. The shift signals Airbnb’s ambition to redefine how guests discover stays and how hosts manage their businesses.

Key takeaways

• AI-native product vision: Airbnb aims to build an app that moves beyond keyword search toward a personalized, conversational experience that assists with trip planning, property discovery, and host management.
• Conversational search testing: A natural language search feature is being tested with a limited audience, allowing users to ask questions about properties and destinations in a more intuitive way.
• Future sponsored placements under review: While AI search is still experimental, Airbnb has indicated it may eventually introduce sponsored listings designed to fit seamlessly into a conversational flow.
• Customer support automation expanding: Airbnb’s AI-powered support bot, launched in North America, now resolves roughly one-third of customer inquiries without human intervention, with ambitions to increase automation and expand language coverage.
• Voice-enabled AI support planned: The company intends to introduce voice-based AI customer service and broaden multilingual capabilities, aiming for a majority of tickets to be handled by AI agents over time.
• Data-driven personalization focus: With a new CTO bringing large language model expertise, Airbnb plans to leverage its identity and review data to enhance personalization and discovery.
• Internal AI adoption scaling: Around 80% of Airbnb engineers currently use AI tools, and the company’s goal is to reach full adoption across its engineering teams to improve operational efficiency.

Source: TechCrunch

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