Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky backs new AI lab, competing with OpenAI
Chesky shifts from advisor to competitor, launching his own AI lab...
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is entering the AI lab race, planning to back a new AI lab of his own. The news, broken by Bloomberg and confirmed to TechCrunch, positions Chesky among Silicon Valley elites unsatisfied with current frontier models. While Airbnb has adopted AI coding tools, Chesky last year noted the company hadn't struck an LLM partnership because existing products weren't ready. The lab's focus remains undisclosed, but sources suggest it could center on user interaction and design, areas Chesky has emphasized at Airbnb. That mirrors Brett Adcock's Hark, which is developing a novel user interface for an AI assistant, though Hark also emphasizes hardware.
Chesky's move marks a shift from kingmaker to competitor. He met Sam Altman in 2006 through Y Combinator (which incubated Airbnb) and later advised Altman during OpenAI's hypergrowth, helping broker Altman's return after the board fired him. Chesky was reportedly considered for an OpenAI board seat. Now he appears to be competing with his mentee's company. Chesky will remain Airbnb CEO and not lead the lab himself, though whoever does will contend with his reputation as a micromanager. A representative for Airbnb and Chesky declined to comment.
- Chesky plans to back a new AI lab, per Bloomberg and TechCrunch, entering competition with frontier labs.
- Lab focus likely on user interaction/design; Chesky will remain Airbnb CEO and not lead the lab.
- Chesky previously advised OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and helped broker Altman's return after the board firing.
Why It Matters
A major tech founder with deep AI connections is directly funding model research, intensifying the race for next-gen AI.