Airbnb is set to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) technology to its customer support system later this summer, the company revealed during its Q4 2024 earnings call on Thursday. This move marks a significant step towards harnessing the power of AI in the travel industry, with CEO Brian Chesky expressing optimism about its potential to revolutionize the way people travel.

Unlike initial expectations, Airbnb's AI integration will not focus on providing tools to help travelers plan or book their trips. Instead, the company is leveraging AI to enhance its customer support capabilities, citing its ability to speak any language and understand thousands of pages of documents. According to Chesky, AI can do "an incredible job" for customer service, and its capabilities will expand over time.

Chesky acknowledged that other companies, such as OpenAI and Google, are working on AI agents that can perform a series of tasks on behalf of users. However, he believes that the technology is still in its early stages and not yet ready for prime time. Drawing a parallel with the mid-to-late 1990s internet era, Chesky emphasized that AI has the potential to have a "profound impact on travel" in the future, even if its current applications are limited.

In the short term, Airbnb's AI-powered customer service agent will focus on providing support to customers. As the technology advances, the company plans to expand its capabilities to become a "travel and living concierge," according to Chesky. Additionally, Airbnb has reported small productivity gains from using AI internally for engineering purposes, with potential for more significant gains in the medium term.

The integration of AI into customer support may also lead to greater efficiencies and cost savings for Airbnb. CFO Ellie Mertz hinted at opportunities for margin expansion in areas such as payment processing and customer service, which could have a positive impact on the company's bottom line.

Airbnb's Q4 2024 earnings report was strong, with the company beating estimates on both earnings and revenue. Shares surged 15% following the announcement, with revenue reaching $2.48 billion and earnings per share of 73 cents.

As Airbnb continues to explore the possibilities of AI, its decision to focus on customer support first may set a precedent for the travel industry as a whole. With Chesky's vision for AI to have a profound impact on travel, it will be interesting to see how the company's strategy unfolds in the coming years.