Chesky plans AI lab, entering competition with Altman’s OpenAI Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is launching a new AI lab with a focus on user interaction and design, positioning himself in competition with Sam Altman’s OpenAI. This initiative stems from Chesky’s belief that current AI products lack the rich visual interfaces needed for travel and commerce. While Airbnb is already implementing AI, Chesky aims to build at the model layer, not just the application layer.

• Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is backing a new AI lab focused on user interaction and design.
• This move places Chesky in direct competition with Sam Altman and OpenAI.
• Chesky believes existing AI products are not optimized for rich visual interfaces required for travel and commerce.
• Airbnb has already made significant AI investments, including hiring former Meta generative AI lead Ahmad Al-Dahle.
• The trend of founders building their own AI capacity suggests limitations in current commodity AI models for application development.
• Chesky’s personal relationship with Sam Altman spans nearly two decades, including advising Altman during OpenAI’s board crisis. Continue reading https://thenextweb.com/news/chesky-airbnb-ai-lab-openai-altman