Airbnb adopts AI: focus on customer support

Airbnb is gearing up to embrace artificial intelligence technology, but not in the way users expected.

Airbnb is preparing to embrace artificial intelligence technology, but not in the way users expected.

First steps: AI in customer service

In place of trip planning and booking tools, the company is first using AI in its customer support system. That update will come as early as this summer, Airbnb said during its fourth-quarter 2024 reporting call.

Airbnb’s AI will be used in its customer support system.

Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky explained that AI is capable of doing «an incredible job» in customer service, understanding thousands of pages of documents and speaking any language. Initially, the technology will be used as a customer service agent, but its functionality will expand over time.

The technology will be used as a customer service agent, but its functionality will expand over time.

The Future of AI in Airbnb

Although companies like OpenAI and Google are already working on AI agents, Chesky believes the technology is not yet ready for Airbnb. However, he is confident that AI will have a «profound impact on the travel industry» in the future.”

He believes that AI will have a «profound impact on the travel industry.

«AI is still in its early stages, roughly like the Internet in the mid-to-late ’90s», Chesky noted.

Chesky said.

Although some companies are already testing AI tools for trip planning, the Airbnb chief believes that these solutions are not yet ready for mass adoption. Eventually, Airbnb’s AI will be integrated into search, and in the future could become «a concierge for travel and lodging».

Impact on internal processes and staff

Besides customer support, Airbnb is using AI to make engineering teams more productive. However, Chesky warns that so far the technology is not leading to «a fundamental leap in efficiency». In the medium term, he says, it could improve the productivity of technology and engineering teams by 30%.

Airbnb is using AI to improve the productivity of its technology and engineering teams.

The company did not specify whether the introduction of AI would affect headcount, but CFO Ellie Mertz hinted at possible efficiency gains in customer support.

«In 2025, we will have additional opportunities to optimize variable costs, including payment processing and customer support, which will improve our margins»,” Mertz said.

The company said.

Airbnb’s financial success

Airbnb reported strong financial results in the fourth quarter. The company’s stock rose 15% after the company released a report that beat analysts’ forecasts. Revenue came in at $2.48 billion (versus an expected $2.42 billion) and earnings per share reached 73 cents, beating

The story Airbnb adopts AI: focus on customer support was first published on ITZine.ru.