Airbnb’s Brian Chesky plans to launch a new AI lab

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky plans to back a new AI lab after growing frustrated with his role as an AI kingmaker. The move, confirmed by a person familiar with the situation, places him among Silicon Valley figures dissatisfied with models coming from the frontier labs.

Airbnb has adopted AI coding tools, but Chesky said last year the company hasn’t struck an LLM partnership because existing products weren’t quite ready. He met Sam Altman in 2006 through Y Combinator and stayed in touch; when OpenAI grew, Chesky began meeting regularly with Altman to offer advice about managing a hypergrowth company.

He was reportedly considered a potential OpenAI board member and helped broker Altman’s return after his firing, advising on public relations and rallying support among industry leaders. It’s not yet clear what the new lab will focus, though some coverage mentions user interaction and design, areas Chesky has emphasized at Airbnb.

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