Airbnb Says AI Now Handles One-Third of Customer Support Queries in US and Canada

According to Airbnb, its in-house AI agent is already taking care of about a third of customer support enquiries in the US, and the company is getting ready to launch the function worldwide. By the end of the next year, the business hopes that its AI voice and chat systems will have resolved over 30% of all customer support tickets. These AI bots will be able to communicate in any language.

On the other hand, the business did say that it will also use human customer service representatives. Not only does this drastically improve service quality while also lowering the cost base of Airbnb customer support, but CEO Brian Chesky has stated that the business believes this is going to be big. This was Chesky's statement during this week's fourth-quarter earnings call. This seems to indicate that he thinks the AI could solve some problems more effectively than humans.

Airbnb Expanding its AI Network

Hiring Chief Technology Officer Ahmad Al-Dahle was another highlight for the business. Airbnb recruited Al-Dahle from Meta due to his AI expertise and Airbnb's ambitions to develop an AI-native experience. Chesky claimed that under his leadership, Airbnb was about to launch an app that "knows you" rather than merely searches for you.

The whole trip planning process will be simplified, hosts will be able to run their companies more smoothly, and the organisation will be able to function more efficiently at scale, according to Chesky. He went on to say that this is exactly why Airbnb recruited Al-Dahle. It was pointed out by Chesky that Ahmad is among the top AI experts in the world.

Before leading the generative AI team at Meta that created the Llama models, he worked at Apple for sixteen years. He's great at combining large-scale technical implementation with top-notch design; this is precisely how we'll revolutionise Airbnb. Leaders at Airbnb are promoting the idea that their company has a database and product that other AI chatbots can't duplicate, much like other companies that are about to be disrupted by AI.

Financial Outlook of Airbnb

Following quarter-end revenues of $2.78 billion, up from projections of $2.72 billion, the business predicted "low double-digit" growth for the year. Wall Street had predicted $2.53 billion in sales for the quarter but now expects $2.59 to $2.63 billion. Despite their potential entry into the short-term rental market, investors remained concerned about the long-term viability of AI platforms. But Chesky argued against it, claiming that Airbnb is more than simply the app that hosts its guests' accommodations; it also includes customer support, insurance, and user verifications.