{"slug": "airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-plans-to-start-a-new-ai-company", "title": "Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky plans to start a new AI company", "summary": "Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is launching a new artificial intelligence lab focused on developing AI models with an emphasis on user interaction and design, according to sources familiar with the matter. Chesky will remain CEO of Airbnb but will not serve as chief executive of the new venture, which is in early funding stages. The move marks Chesky's entry into the global AI race as he continues transforming Airbnb into a comprehensive travel platform.", "body_md": "[Airbnb](https://fortune.com/company/airbnb/) Inc. Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky is starting a new artificial intelligence lab, according to several people familiar with the matter, marking his first foray into the global AI race.\n\nChesky plans to create an AI venture to develop artificial intelligence models and is considering a focus on user interaction and design, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the information is not public. He is in the early stages of funding the lab, one person said, and the details could change.\n\nChesky will remain CEO of Airbnb, several people said. He will not serve as chief executive of the new lab, one person said.\n\nChesky co-founded Airbnb nearly 20 years ago after studying design in college. In recent years, he has often said AI applications for travel and e-commerce require a rich user interface, rather than the kind of text-based chatbots popularized by OpenAI and Anthropic PBC. Unlike online travel rivals [Expedia Group](https://fortune.com/company/expedia-group/) Inc. and [Booking Holdings](https://fortune.com/company/booking-holdings/) Inc., Airbnb has not partnered with OpenAI to create a plug-in within ChatGPT, as Chesky has said the AI startup’s tools aren’t robust enough.\n\nRepresentatives for Chesky and Airbnb declined to comment.\n\nChesky is in the midst of transforming Airbnb into a “do-it-all” travel app, including new add-on services that he hopes could eventually bring in $1 billion or more in revenue a year. Airbnb employees have embraced AI coding tools to help accelerate the expansion, with new business pilots spun up in weeks rather than years, Chesky said in an interview last month.\n\nAs a rare founder-CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Chesky has been deeply involved in setting the product and business vision of Airbnb. His hands-on approach inspired entrepreneur and investor Paul Graham to coin the term “founder mode” in 2024.\n\n**Fortune Brainstorm Tech** has been the place where bold ideas collide. From\n\n**June 8–10**, we will return to\n\n**Aspen**—where it all began—to mark 25 years of Brainstorm.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-plans-to-start-a-new-ai-company", "canonical_source": "https://fortune.com/2026/06/04/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-plans-to-start-a-new-ai-company/", "published_at": "2026-06-04 20:32:48+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-06-04 21:46:07.102129+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-startups", "ai-products", "ai-tools", "generative-ai"], "entities": ["Brian Chesky", "Airbnb", "OpenAI", "Anthropic PBC", "Expedia Group", "Booking Holdings", "ChatGPT"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-plans-to-start-a-new-ai-company", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-plans-to-start-a-new-ai-company.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-plans-to-start-a-new-ai-company.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-plans-to-start-a-new-ai-company.jsonld"}}