Airbnb CEO says AI agents need an operating system built for them

In short: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says today’s AI agents still do not work well for everyday tasks, and he thinks the tech world needs an operating system made for AI.

What's going on

Brian Chesky spoke about where AI is headed as Airbnb rolls out a new AI-powered search feature. He said plain chatbots are not a good way to browse and shop. A chatbot shows only a few options at a time, so you have to go back and forth a lot.

Chesky also said travel planning is often something people do together. A one-person chatbot is not great for that. Airbnb plans to spend the next three to six months exploring “multiplayer” AI, meaning AI that a group can use at once, like friends planning a trip on the same screen.

He also talked about “AI agents,” which are AI tools that try to complete tasks for you, like booking something. Chesky said Airbnb wants to become more “agent-friendly,” so these tools can work better with Airbnb. He added that agents could send more customers to Airbnb, rather than replace the Airbnb app.

Chesky’s bigger point is about the software underneath. He argued that iOS, macOS, and Windows were not built for AI agents. He thinks the industry needs an “AI-native operating system,” like a new kind of foundation where agents can work together more smoothly. He compared the current situation to trying to run an app store without the right tools for developers.

What to watch

Chesky said voice will matter more over time, and Airbnb plans to roll out voice agents this fall for search and customer service. It is also worth watching whether Apple or Google adds deeper support for AI agents, since they control the main phone platforms.

Source: TechCrunch AI