Archive · 18 Jul 2026
AI to Eliminate Middle Managers, Says Airbnb CEO
Airbnb's CEO, Brian Chesky, thinks that AI will make many middle managers unnecessary.
These managers usually hold meetings and pass information between teams.
Chesky believes AI can do these tasks better.
Instead, future leaders should focus on doing the actual work, like lawyers analyzing cases or engineers building products.
Other tech leaders, like Coinbase's Brian Armstrong and Block's Jack Dorsey, agree.
They say AI helps engineers work faster and that there's no need for many middle managers.
This change might happen beyond just tech companies.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky predicts AI will eliminate traditional 'people managers' who primarily coordinate teams.
AI can perform administrative tasks like scheduling, summarizing meetings, and generating reports.
Future managers should focus on direct work contribution rather than just supervising others.
Coinbase and Block CEOs also advocate for reducing middle management layers due to AI's capabilities.
The shift towards AI-driven management is expected to impact industries beyond Silicon Valley.
- Who
- Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Block CEO Jack Dorsey
- What
- AI's potential to eliminate middle management roles
- When
- Not specified
- Where
- Silicon Valley and beyond
- Why
- AI can perform administrative tasks traditionally handled by middle managers
- CEO
- Brian Chesky
- Company
- Airbnb
- Podcast
- Invest Like The Best
- Affected Role
- People Managers
- AI Impact
- Replacing administrative tasks
- Future Management Focus
- Direct work contribution
- Other Tech CEOs
- Brian Armstrong (Coinbase), Jack Dorsey (Block)