Airbnb CEO: AI is 'the best thing that ever happened to' the company
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky credited AI as a key factor in the company beating Q4 estimates with $2.78B revenue and $20.4B gross booking value (up 16% YoY). AI now powers a third of customer service tickets in North America.
Chesky warned other founders that AI adoption isn't optional: "If you don't change, you're going to be disrupted." The company "disrupted itself" before competitors could, positioning AI-driven companies that act early as the likely winners.
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