“2:19 The Airbnb logo (download app) is displayed on a smartphone on September 9, 2023 in L’Aquila, Italy. Some cities and countries are imposing restrictions on Airbnb hosts to protect the hotel industry. Nurphoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images Airbnb announced new social features that help users stay in touch with those they’ve met through Airbnb Experiences. New “Connections” section on users’ tab […]”, — write: businessua.com.ua
2:19 The Airbnb logo (download app) is displayed on a smartphone on September 9, 2023 in L’Aquila, Italy. Some cities and countries are imposing restrictions on Airbnb hosts to protect the hotel industry. Nurphoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Airbnb has announced new social features that help users stay connected with those they’ve met through Airbnb Experiences. The new “Connections” section on the users’ profile tab now shows the people you are with they met through the app, which makes it easy to connect before the event or event and reconnect after.
“One of the things we’ve heard is that people like to meet other people at Experiences,” Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky told ABC News’ Rebecca Jarvis in an extensive interview. “So we’ve added social features where you can see who’s participating in the experience [і] keep in touch with them afterwards. It’s something like a social network in the real world.”
In addition to social media updates, the company is expanding its AI-powered customer support, which now responds in seconds, offering responses tailored to bookings or user lists. In addition, he can take actions such as changing or canceling the reservation.
Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of AirBnB, attends the announcement of the first-ever global live music event on May 26, 2025 in Berlin, Germany, launching an immersive fan experience at Lollapalooza festivals around the world. Gerald Matzka/Getty Images for Airbnb
For Chesky, these additions go beyond product updates. He sees them as part of Airbnb’s broader mission to deepen connections in an increasingly divergent and digital world.
“People are getting lonelier, they’re more disconnected than ever, and we think the antidote is travel and being human,” Chesky said. “That’s what we’ve always strived for.”
His mission statement also informs how he thinks about implementing artificial intelligence at Airbnb. While he said he was “immersed” in the technology, he also considered when and how to deploy it.
Chesky, a close friend and adviser to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, said he advised Altman when he was creating ChatGPT to “position it as a tool, not as some anthropomorphic being.”
Open AI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the Snowflake Summit 2025 at the Moscone Center on June 02, 2025 in San Francisco, California. Snowflake Summit 2025 will continue until June 5. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
“Steve Jobs said at Apple, ‘Never trust a computer you can’t throw out the window.’ In fact, that’s why they created the Mac pen. In other words, what he meant was that they’re tools, they’re not intelligent, they’re not alive, they don’t control you, you control them,” Chesky said.
“As long as we’re in control of the technology, we’re fine, but we have to be careful because we make our tools and then they make us,” he said. added
Airbnb isn’t working with OpenAI yet, but Chesky says they’re “always open” to the future when the products are ready for a company like Airbnb.
“We are not a product, we are a community,” Chesky said. “You need to have an account; you need to verify your identity. We want you to feel like you’re part of a community, so to do that we have to build an ecosystem in these other apps, and they’re going to take some time.”
While Chesky sees huge potential in the future of artificial intelligence, he also sees it as something that will increase the need for real-world communication.
The Airbnb logo (download page) displayed on a smartphone is seen in L’Aquila, Italy on September 9, 2023. Some cities and countries are imposing restrictions on Airbnb hosts to protect the hotel industry.Nurphoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images
“People, I think, yearn for something that’s real,” Chesky said. “And artificial intelligence will increasingly become this magical fantasy land. It will be amazing to be in it for a little bit, but not live all the time. We need to still be in the physical world.”
When asked what AI will do for leadership in the future, Chesky’s instinct is that managing AI and managing people aren’t really that different: they’re both complex.
“AI is not magic,” Chesky said. “For this we need rules. People need clear instructions.”
But some things, Chesky told Jarvis, will never change.
“People still want relationships,” Chesky said. “Leadership will still matter.”
Source: abcnews.go.com
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