Overview
- Al‑Dahle, who led generative AI at Meta and oversaw the Llama model family, joins after a 16‑year tenure at Apple focused on design‑driven engineering.
- He succeeds Ari Balogh, who stepped down as CTO in December after seven years at the company.
- CEO Brian Chesky says Airbnb has more than a dozen AI workstreams aimed at deeper personalization, with product launches planned for 2026, including an in‑app AI search.
- Airbnb reports early operational gains from AI, citing a 15% reduction in English‑language customer‑service contacts and broader internal productivity benefits.
- The strategy emphasizes specialized, travel‑focused AI built on Airbnb’s host‑guest community data, with willingness to integrate with external platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini as the company expands beyond rentals into services and experiences.