Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky Urges Workers To Evolve With AI

Brian Chesky, Airbnb Co-Founder and CEO, says workers should not fear AI as long as they evolve alongside it. He argues that adaptability will define who thrives in the next era of work.

Speaking on the Invest Like the Best podcast, Brian identifies two groups who may struggle: “pure people managers” and those who “do not want to change and evolve”.

Brian’s comments come as AI adoption accelerates across sectors and functions. Leaders are debating how the technology will shape roles, skills and structures.

Jensen Huang, NVIDIA CEO, says AI will make employees “busier than ever”, reflecting a view that tools increase output and ambition rather than displace all tasks.

Amrita Ahuja, CFO of Block, says job reductions due to AI are an “inevitability”, highlighting concern that automation will streamline headcount in some areas.

Brian’s position sits between these poles. He contends that AI is a structural shift that rewards those who learn, reskill and rethink how they contribute.

From ‘people managers’ to player-coaches

Brian is direct about the future of traditional oversight roles: “I do not think people managers will have any value in the future”. By this he means leaders who only manage people and meetings.

“You cannot just be these managers where you are people’s therapists, and you are just doing meetings, you are doing one-on-ones,” he says.

He argues leaders must become “hybrid people managers”, combining coaching with hands-on, technical or functional contribution. Influence should come from expertise and example.

Some companies are already changing structures to support this model. Coinbase, which announces plans to reduce its workforce by 14%, is flattening its organisation so there are five layers below CEO, Brian Armstrong.

The goal, Coinbase says, is more agile teams with every leader a “strong and active contributor”. Mr Armstrong describes managers as “player-coaches”, working alongside their teams.

Airbnb’s AI adoption

Brian calls AI “the best thing that ever happened to Airbnb” in a February CNBC interview. He says founder-led and transformation-ready firms are best placed to capture the upside.

Airbnb is already applying AI to core operations. CFO Ellie Mertz tells Fortune that AI has lifted customer satisfaction by getting guests and hosts “what they need very quickly”.

The company continues to invest in Gen AI capabilities across products and support, focusing on speed, personalisation and efficiency.

These investments, Brian says, help Airbnb remain a key player in a changing industry. He adds that AI “means everyone changes”, and that those which fail to evolve will face disruption.

Self-disruption as strategy

Brian frames AI as a competitiveness imperative. He says leaders must act before market forces act on them.

“If you do not disrupt yourself, someone else will”, he warns. “And we are not going to allow people to disrupt ourselves.”

His message to organisations is clear. Treat AI as a structural shift, not a side project. Redesign roles, flatten where it improves speed and make leaders active contributors.

For individuals, the takeaway is equally clear. Evolve your skills with AI, deepen your domain knowledge and lean into tools which amplify your impact. The workers who adapt will be the workers who advance.