Airbnb is testing a new search function that lets users type in natural language to receive results in a visual format.
This shift comes after the company revealed it is using artificial intelligence to write 60% of its code. During the second-quarter earnings call, co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky stated that AI is helping the business create features at a rapid rate.
Speed gains
Chesky noted that the company has cut the time from conceptualisation to shipping features by 60%. “Today, we’re building, testing, and iterating faster than we could just a year ago,” he said. “Across some of our key initiatives, we’ve reduced the time from concept to launch by as much as 60%.” The number of features and improvements shipped this year has increased by nearly 80% compared to the same six months last year.
The technology is already helping with search, sign-up, checkout, and payments. Hosts have also seen quicker onboarding flows. Consumer-facing AI features remain slower to arrive and are mostly limited to review summaries and listing highlights.
Search without the chatbot
Chesky has previously argued that a simple chatbot interface would not work for travel use cases. Instead, the focus has been on developing AI for search, discovery, and support. The new test allows users to toggle between the current filter system and the new AI search. When active, the titles in the answer could be AI generated and conversational, but the layout remains visual. Product description page highlights are also generated in real-time and personalised to the user.
Support costs drop
Customer support is an area where the company has deployed AI heavily. An AI-powered bot launched in North America in 2025 has expanded to more than 50 languages this year, with plans to add voice calls later. Nearly 45% of customer issues that begin with the AI agent are completed without human intervention. Consequently, the support cost per booking has fallen 16% year-over-year.
Airbnb posted positive results for the quarter ended in June. Revenue rose 17% year-over-year to $3.6 billion, while adjusted EBITDA jumped 21% to $1.3 billion.
What it means
Users will not see a chatbot replacing the search bar. Instead, they will see a visual list that responds to natural language queries. The company is prioritising speed in internal development while keeping the consumer interface changes gradual and optional.
