Business · Companies · 5 hrs ago
Airbnb CEO says managers and workers who resist change may struggle with AI
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says refusing to adapt is the main risk for workers as artificial intelligence changes how companies operate.
He made the comments on the Invest Like The Best podcast.
He says managers who only manage people may struggle, because their roles do not involve the work itself.
Chesky argues that leaders should combine team management with hands-on work connected to their products or services.
Workers who resist change may also fall behind, while those willing to learn can build skills with AI tools.
Chesky’s view is that people who use AI may have an advantage, rather than AI automatically replacing workers; he did not describe a specific next step.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said people managers who only manage others and workers who resist change may struggle in the AI era.
He said managers will need to combine people leadership with individual-contributor work and stay involved in the work itself.
Chesky said workers can keep up with AI tools if they have a growth mindset and are willing to learn.
He cited former Apple design chief Jony Ive as an example of balancing product work with team leadership.
- Who
- Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky.
- What
- He said pure people managers and people who resist change may struggle as AI reshapes work.
- When
- He made the remarks on the Invest Like The Best podcast earlier this year; Article 3 says he spoke on May 5.
- Where
- On the Invest Like The Best podcast.
- Why
- He said AI is changing company structures and how employees do their jobs, so workers and managers need to adapt.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Chesky made the remarks about managers and workers adapting to AI on the Invest Like The Best podcast.
Chesky told CNBC that AI was the best thing that had happened to Airbnb.
- People at risk
- Pure people managers and people who are rigid and do not want to change
- Management approach
- Hybrid people manager or manager IC (individual contributor)
- Example
- Former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive
- Podcast
- Invest Like The Best
3 sources
What people are saying
The two types of people who will not make the shift to AI are pure people managers, and people that are rigid and don’t want to change and evolve
I don’t think people managers will have any value in the future. When I mean people managers, [I mean] people that only manage people
You can’t just be these managers where you’re people’s therapists, and you’re just doing meetings, you’re doing one-on-ones.
From a business standpoint, I think AI is the best thing that ever happened to Airbnb