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

Core Insights - Airbnb's custom-built AI agent is currently managing approximately one-third of its customer support issues in North America, with plans for a global rollout, aiming for over 30% of total customer support tickets to be handled by AI within a year [1][2] AI Implementation and Strategy - The CEO, Brian Chesky, emphasized that the AI implementation will significantly reduce costs and improve service quality, suggesting that AI could outperform human agents in resolving certain issues [2] - Airbnb has hired CTO Ahmed Al-Dahle from Meta to enhance its AI capabilities, with plans to create an AI-native experience that personalizes trip planning for guests and assists hosts in managing their businesses [3][4] - Chesky highlighted that Airbnb's unique database, including 200 million verified identities and 500 million proprietary reviews, differentiates its AI from other chatbots, which cannot replicate this data [5] Financial Performance and Projections - The company reported $2.78 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter, exceeding estimates, and forecasts revenue growth in the "low double digits" for the current year, with expected revenue between $2.59 billion and $2.63 billion for the next quarter [6] - Airbnb processes over $100 billion in payments through its platform, reinforcing its established position in the market [7] AI's Role in Business Growth - Chesky noted that AI chatbots can drive top-of-funnel traffic that converts at a higher rate than traditional search engines like Google, indicating a potential benefit for Airbnb from the shift to AI [8] - The company is already utilizing AI for search functionalities, currently in a testing phase for a small percentage of traffic, with plans to make search more conversational and integrate sponsored listings [9] - Approximately 80% of Airbnb's engineers are currently using AI tools, with a goal to increase this to 100% soon [10]