Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says AI writes 60% of its code—and sustaining ‘founder mode’ is the key to winning in the age of AI

Airbnb's CEO, Brian Chesky, insists on maintaining "founder mode" despite the company's massive size, citing its importance in the era of artificial intelligence. Founder mode involves focusing on trust, attention to detail, and organization, much like when Chesky first launched Airbnb. In an interview with CNBC, Chesky stated that AI is writing 60% of Airbnb's new code and accelerating product development.

This shift towards AI has allowed Airbnb to innovate and develop new features faster. In a recent earnings call, Chesky revealed that AI has helped Airbnb ship improvements faster and reduce time from concept to launch by up to 60%. Chesky plans to invest more in AI tokens this year to become an "AI-native company." He attributes the company's success to its AI-powered customer service tool, which handles 45% of user inquiries without human intervention.

Chesky believes AI is the "best thing to ever happen to Airbnb" and predicts a renaissance in consumer AI that will change daily life. He plans to launch his own AI lab, although the specifics are still unclear. Chesky is confident that AI will revolutionize the vacation planning industry, potentially increasing Airbnb's revenue by $1 billion in the future.