Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says AI agents need a new OS

Airbnb recently introduced an AI-powered search feature as part of its fall product update, marking a deliberate step forward in the company's artificial intelligence strategy. Over the next three to six months, the travel platform plans to design multiplayer AI interfaces that allow groups of friends or family members to plan trips collaboratively. Additionally, Airbnb plans to launch voice-activated agents this fall to assist users with search queries and customer service.

In a recent interview, Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky expressed skepticism about chatbot-only interfaces for e-commerce, noting that they are poorly suited for browsing. He revealed that he previously warned OpenAI's Sam Altman that ChatGPT's early attempt at an app store would struggle without a dedicated software developer kit and a true operating system. Chesky tested Airbnb on agentic platforms like Muse and Instinct, concluding that "it doesn't work very well" because current consumer AI lacks a foundational operating system built at the kernel level.

To resolve these limitations, Chesky envisions a future where apps transition into interoperable agents. He foresees the Airbnb app evolving into a macro agent that connects with other software using the Model Context Protocol. However, he believes this shift relies heavily on major platform owners like Apple and Google. Without a fundamental operating system redesign, developers will be forced to build agents inside existing apps rather than creating a unified, agent-first ecosystem.

For software practitioners, this perspective suggests that the transition to agentic workflows requires robust backend infrastructure and adaptive interfaces rather than purely generative screens. Chesky dismissed the notion that traditional user interfaces will disappear entirely in favor of text or voice, arguing that professional designers will always prompt better software than average consumers. In the meantime, Airbnb is leveraging AI internally to accelerate its feature shipping times and streamline executive communications.