Airbnb CEO Warns on Worker Adaptability in AI Era

Workers should not fear artificial intelligence taking a larger role in the workplace but must ensure they are evolving alongside it, according to Brian Chesky, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Airbnb.

Speaking on the Invest Like the Best podcast, Brian identifies two categories of people who "will not make the shift" to an AI enabled workplace. These are "pure people managers" and people who "don't want to change and evolve".

The comments come as artificial intelligence makes widespread changes to work environments. Business leaders offer a mixed view of what this could mean for employees.

Some leaders such as Jensen Huang, Chief Executive Officer of NVIDIA, have said the implementation of artificial intelligence will make workers "busier than ever". Others such as Amrita Ahuja, Chief Executive Officer of Block, have said they believe job cuts due to the technology are an "inevitability".

People management roles reconsidered

As artificial intelligence changes the ways people work, Brian believes managers will need to rethink their approach to leading teams.

"I don't think people managers will have any value in the future," he says. He explains that by "people managers" he means "people that only manage people".

"You can't just be these managers where you're people's therapists, and you're just doing meetings, you're doing one-on-ones," he continues.

Brian believes leaders within a company will need to be a "hybrid people manager". This involves taking on a more technical role and becoming more involved in the context of their work.

Some companies are already reworking their structures to reflect this change. As part of its plans to lay off 14% of its workforce, Coinbase has announced it is flattening its organisational structure so there are just five layers below Chief Executive Officer Brian Armstrong.

The Coinbase chief says this will help create more agile teams and ensure every leader in the company is a "strong and active contributor". He believes "managers should be like player-coaches, getting their hands dirty alongside their teams".

Technology adoption at Airbnb

This is not the first time the Airbnb chief has taken a pro-AI stance. In a February CNBC interview, Brian says that artificial intelligence is "the best thing that ever happened to Airbnb".

Artificial intelligence has already reshaped the way Airbnb operates. According to Chief Financial Officer Ellie Mertz, its use of the technology in customer service operations has improved customer satisfaction scores.

In an interview with Fortune, she shared that artificial intelligence "gets guests and hosts what they need very quickly". The company is continuing its plans to invest in the technology.

This continued investment is helping Airbnb ensure it remains a key player in the industry, according to Brian. "The founder-led companies and the companies that are prepared to change and transform are the companies that are going to benefit from AI, because AI means everyone changes," Brian continues. "And if you don't change, you're going to be disrupted."

Competitive implications for organisations

Artificial intelligence is a structural change, Brian says. The way companies approach it will play a direct role in future business competitiveness.

"If you don't disrupt yourself, someone else will," he warns. "And we're not going to allow people to disrupt ourselves."

Brian's message is clear: organisations must take the initiative to transform themselves before external forces compel them to do so.