Airbnb wants to be more than your vacation app
Brian Chesky’s decade-long bet: AI concierges, real-world communities, and an Amazon-style “everything” platform for travel and living
Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky is laying out a long-term roadmap that pushes the company far beyond vacation rentals. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia & Technology Conference, he outlined three major priorities: making Airbnb one of the first truly AI-native apps, transforming the marketplace into a global community, and evolving the platform into a one-stop ecosystem for travel, housing, and services.
Key takeaways
- AI-native future: Chesky wants Airbnb to pioneer a new kind of AI interface, beyond chatbots, acting as a personalized concierge for travel and daily life. AI search will be integrated into the app in 2026.
- Community focus: Airbnb aims to evolve from a rental marketplace into a global community platform, building robust user profiles and real-world connections rather than traditional social networks.
- Everything platform: Inspired by Amazon and Apple, Airbnb plans to expand into services, experiences, long-term housing, and even hotels—becoming a comprehensive platform for living and travel.
- Host ecosystem monetization: Airbnb is preparing to offer hosts a suite of professional services (from pricing tools to restocking support) and monetize these through higher take rates and new ad models.
- Decade-long horizon: Chesky emphasized that these changes won’t happen overnight but represent a 10-year transformation that could make Airbnb one of the most emotionally resonant apps in people’s lives.
Get the full story at PhocusWire