Airbnb plans to bake in AI features for search, discovery and support | TechCrunch
Summary
Airbnb plans to enhance its platform with AI features for search, discovery, and customer support, aiming for a more personalized user experience and improved operational efficiency.
Why It Matters
As Airbnb integrates AI capabilities, it positions itself to improve user engagement and streamline operations. This move reflects a broader trend in the tech industry where companies leverage AI to enhance customer experiences and operational efficiency, making it crucial for stakeholders to understand these developments.
Key Takeaways
- Airbnb aims to develop an AI-native experience that personalizes user interactions.
- The company is testing natural language queries for property searches to enhance user engagement.
- AI-powered customer support is already handling a significant portion of inquiries, with plans for expansion.
- Airbnb's new CTO will leverage AI expertise to improve app functionality using user data.
- Future AI features may include voice support for customer service and more comprehensive search capabilities.
Airbnb has taken its time to launch AI features within the app, but CEO Brian Chesky on Friday said the company is now planning to bake in features powered by large language models that would help users search for listings, plan their trips, and aid hosts in managing their properties. Speaking at the company’s fourth-quarter conference call, Chesky said the company wants to increase its use of large language models for customer discovery, support and engineering. “We are building an AI-native experience where the app does not just search for you. It knows you. It will help guests plan their entire trip, help hosts better run their businesses, and help the company operate more efficiently at scale,” he said. The company separately said it is testing a new feature that lets users search and ask questions about properties and locations using natural language queries. Currently, Airbnb offers an LLM-powered customer service bot, for some personalization, and communications. The new AI search feature is expected to “evolve into a more comprehensive and intuitive search experience that extends through the trip.” Questioned by analyst whether Airbnb would roll out sponsored property slots within AI search, Chesky said the company wants to get the design and user experience right first. “AI search is live to a very small percentage of traffic right now. We are doing a lot of experimentation. Over time, we are gonna be experimenting with making AI search more conversational, integr...
