Airbnb says a third of its customer support is now handled by AI in the US and Canada

Airbnb has revealed that its in-house AI agent is now resolving nearly one-third of customer support requests across North America, with plans to introduce the technology worldwide. If the rollout performs as expected, the company anticipates that within a year, more than 30% of its support tickets will be managed through AI-powered voice and chat across all languages where human agents currently operate.

During the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call, CEO Brian Chesky described the initiative as a major step forward. He emphasized that AI would not only lower support costs but also significantly improve service quality, suggesting that automated systems may handle certain issues more efficiently than human representatives.

Airbnb also highlighted the recent appointment of CTO Ahmad Al-Dahle, who joined the company from Meta, bringing deep expertise in artificial intelligence. With his leadership, Airbnb aims to build an AI-first platform designed to deliver more personalized user experiences.

Chesky explained that the company is working toward an app that goes beyond simple search functions to better understand individual users. According to him, the goal is to help travelers plan complete trips, enable hosts to manage their operations more effectively, and allow the company to scale its services more efficiently.

He described Al-Dahle as a leading AI expert, noting his 16-year tenure at Apple and his recent role at Meta, where he led the generative AI team responsible for the Llama models. Chesky believes this combination of technical expertise and design focus will be central to transforming the Airbnb platform.

Like many companies preparing for AI-driven disruption, Airbnb is emphasizing the strength of its proprietary data. Chesky pointed out that generic AI chatbots lack access to Airbnb’s 200 million verified user identities and 500 million reviews, as well as the ability to directly connect guests with hosts—something he says 90% of users rely on. By integrating AI into its existing ecosystem, the company expects to accelerate growth rather than be threatened by external AI tools.

Financially, Airbnb reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter revenue of $2.78 billion, surpassing estimates of $2.72 billion. The company forecasts revenue growth in the low double digits for the year and expects the current quarter’s revenue to reach between $2.59 billion and $2.63 billion, again above analyst predictions.

Some investors raised concerns about the long-term impact of AI platforms potentially entering the short-term rental space. Chesky dismissed these worries, explaining that Airbnb’s value extends beyond its consumer app to include host tools, customer support, insurance protections, and identity verification systems. He noted that the company has spent 18 years building its platform and now processes more than $100 billion in payments annually.

Chesky also compared AI chatbots to search engines, saying they generate early-stage traffic that converts at higher rates than traditional sources like Google. He believes this shift toward AI-driven interactions could ultimately benefit Airbnb.

The company has already begun using AI to enhance its search features, currently testing conversational search with a small percentage of users. Future plans include integrating sponsored listings into search results.

Internally, Airbnb is also increasing its use of AI tools. The company reported that around 80% of its engineers already rely on AI in their workflows, with a goal of reaching full adoption across its engineering teams in the near future.

Voice Of Osiz

Airbnb’s move to automate nearly a third of its customer support with AI highlights how intelligent systems are redefining service operations at scale. By integrating AI into core workflows, the company is improving efficiency while maintaining user experience across the US and Canada. This shift reflects a broader industry trend where automation enhances responsiveness and reduces operational costs. At Osiz, we see this as a clear signal that AI-powered customer engagement is no longer optional—it’s strategic. Businesses that embed AI into support, search, and personalization layers gain measurable competitive advantages. As digital ecosystems grow more complex, scalable AI infrastructure becomes critical for sustained performance. Osiz empowers enterprises to build secure, high-impact AI solutions that transform customer interactions and drive long-term growth.

Source: TechCrunch