Airbnb said on Sept. 30 that it has formally added AI search to its app, with the first rollout starting in the United States. The company did not launch a chatbot. Instead, it focused this update on three areas: search, friends’ travel plans, and services guests may need after they arrive.
Airbnb shares fell 17.8% between Sept. 4 and Sept. 23. One view in the market was that investors were worried the booking entry point could be taken by other platforms. Meta’s AI agent Muse went live on Sept. 8, allowing users to search, compare prices, and place orders inside a conversation without opening a travel app.
AI search is now inside the app
According to Airbnb’s official announcement, the new search bar lets users search for homes, experiences, and services using their own words or by voice.
If a user types “baby” into filters, the app can surface cribs, playgrounds, children’s books, and toys. Search results also show AI-generated listing highlights, and homes saved to wishlists can be compared side by side.
Travel industry outlet Skift said Airbnb is not an early mover in AI tools. Priceline’s Penny has offered natural-language search since 2023, Kayak launched AI Mode a year ago, and Expedia-owned Vrbo and Hotels.com also have similar features.
Skift said the issue is not who arrived first, but whether Airbnb’s AI product is better than what rivals already offer. It pointed to one distinction: AI descriptions and comparisons appear directly in search results rather than being confined to a chatbot interface.
Why Brian Chesky rejected the chatbot route
Airbnb Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky had already made his skepticism clear in May during the company’s first-quarter earnings call. He said, “I don’t think anyone has figured out how AI should work in travel or e-commerce.”
In his view, chatbots are not well suited to those categories in their current form. They rely too heavily on text even though e-commerce is largely visual. Users have to type instead of using sliders. Comparing thousands of options inside a long conversation can be disorienting. And most lodging decisions are made by groups, while chatbots are mainly built for one person at a time.
That is why Airbnb placed AI into the search bar, filters, and results pages rather than a chat window.
Chesky told TechCrunch: “We’re finally stepping into AI search for the first time. What you’re seeing now is just the beginning, and we’re going to iterate very quickly over the coming months. Building AI search isn’t hard. The hard part is building AI search in e-commerce when $100 billion flows through it.”
He added: “Anyone can vibe-code a search feature. The hard part is doing it without killing conversion.”
Focusing on what outside agents cannot easily copy
Beyond search, Airbnb’s second priority is friends’ itineraries, effectively a social graph for travel.
Its official announcement said Connect lets users invite family members, friends, and travel companions to add one another. Once connected, both sides can see each other’s itineraries. Travel Map is an interactive map that shows where someone has been and where they are going next. Users can tap in to see which listing was booked and which experiences and services were reserved. Neighborhood pages also organize the feel of each area and places to eat and drink.
That kind of information stays inside Airbnb’s own app, making it harder for outside AI agents to replicate.
Food delivery, laundry, and baby gear after check-in
The third part of the strategy covers what happens after arrival. Airbnb’s position is that an agent may be able to move the booking step elsewhere, but services such as laundry or a crib still need to be delivered once the guest is on site.
According to the company’s announcement, food delivery is starting in some European cities. Laundry service is being offered through Rinse, with free pickup and drop-off for guests in some U.S. cities. Baby gear rentals are being added through BabyQuip in more than 60 U.S. cities starting in November, with guests receiving a 10% discount.
Three challenges remain
The first is timing. Rival products are already live, while Airbnb’s agent-style AI tools are not expected until 2027.
The second is privacy. The value of Connect and Travel Map depends on whether users are willing to let friends see their travel plans. Airbnb said users can choose which trips appear on the map, hide itineraries, or block other people. Whether users are comfortable sharing that information with their social circle will depend on actual adoption.
The third, and the biggest variable, is that AI agents may still bypass the app. Expedia said on Sept. 22 that it had joined Muse, allowing users to select Expedia hotels and pay directly inside Muse. Airbnb’s latest announcement did not mention Muse. The two companies are taking opposite approaches: Expedia is placing itself on the shelf inside an agent, while Airbnb is trying to persuade users to open its own app before an agent steps in.
