Airbnb uses AI to write 60% of its new code
▼ Summary
– Airbnb reported that 60% of its engineers’ code in Q1 2026 was AI-generated, echoing trends at other tech companies.
– CEO Brian Chesky stated AI gives leverage to build more tools for API partners, allowing a single engineer to accomplish work that previously required a team of 20.
– Airbnb’s customer support AI bot now handles 40% of issues without human escalation, up from 33% earlier in the year.
– Chesky acknowledged that chatbot interfaces are not effective for travel or e-commerce due to issues with text, manipulation, comparison, and multiplayer booking.
– Airbnb’s Q1 net income rose 3.9% to $160 million, revenue grew 18% to $2.7 billion, and its “Reserve now, pay later” feature accounted for nearly 20% of gross booking value.
During its first-quarter 2026 earnings call, Airbnb revealed that AI now generates 60% of all new code produced by its engineering team. This milestone places the company alongside tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Spotify, all of which have highlighted how artificial intelligence is accelerating software development.
CEO Brian Chesky explained that AI is especially valuable for creating tools aimed at API partners , property managers who rely on third-party software to run their listings. According to Chesky, these partners have been asking for better hosting tools, and AI provides the leverage to deliver them efficiently. “Where you might have needed a team of 20 engineers before, an engineer can now spin up agents to do a lot of work under supervision,” he said. “Adopting AI tools gives us leverage to build more software for API partners, accelerating work we previously did not have resources for.”
Airbnb has also been expanding its use of AI in customer support. Chesky reported that the company’s support bot now resolves 40% of all inquiries without needing to involve a human agent, up from roughly 33% earlier this year. The travel platform is also experimenting with AI to enhance its search functionality.
Still, Chesky acknowledged that applying AI to travel and e-commerce remains a challenge, pointing to fundamental flaws in the chatbot interface. “I do not think anyone has figured out AI for travel or e-commerce yet,” he said. “The design of a chatbot, as currently constructed, does not work for travel or e-commerce. There are four problems: too much text (most of e-commerce is photo-forward); no direct manipulation (you have to type everything rather than adjust sliders); poor comparison (you can get lost trying to compare thousands of options in a thread); and most bookings are multiplayer, while chatbots are primarily single-player, and not map-native.”
Financially, Airbnb reported net income rose 3.9% to $160 million in the first quarter, while revenue climbed 18% to $2.7 billion year over year. Nights booked increased 9% to 156.2 million during the period. The company also noted that its new “Reserve now, pay later” feature attracted nearly 20% of its gross booking value in the quarter.
(Source: TechCrunch)
