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AI agents aren’t the ‘new Google,’ says Airbnb CEO
In a recent earnings call, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky expressed his thoughts on the company’s AI strategy, cautioning investors that AI chatbots should not be considered a replacement for search engines like Google just yet. The executive emphasized that while AI-powered customer service may drive new leads to the travel and services business, it is not entirely replacing referrals brought about by dominant search engines.
Chesky stated during the call that his company would explore using AI in various ways, highlighting the progress made with its AI customer service agent in the U.S., which has successfully reduced the number of guests reaching out to human agents by 15%. He noted that tackling travel planning and inspiration was relatively easier than addressing customer service tasks due to their reliance on accuracy.
Source: techcrunch.com
