Major CEO declares END of People Managers!

A green road sign displaying the words The End against a cloudy sky

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky declares ‘people managers’ obsolete in the AI era, demanding executives dive into the technical weeds or face extinction.

Story Highlights

AI now writes nearly 60% of Airbnb’s engineer-produced code, transforming software development.[2]
Chesky predicts ‘people managers’ will have no future value as AI eliminates recurring one-on-one meetings.[3]
Managers must shift to hands-on work management, gaining deep context in their fields to survive.
Airbnb credits AI for business gains, including powering one-third of North American customer service tickets.[1][5]
New CTO from Meta’s AI team integrates large language models across all departments.[5]

AI Revolutionizes Airbnb’s Code Production

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky revealed that artificial intelligence generates nearly 60% of the code produced by the company’s engineers. This shift occurred during the firm’s recent earnings discussions, where Chesky highlighted AI’s role in accelerating operations. Engineers rely on AI tools for the majority of coding tasks, freeing humans for higher-level decisions. Chesky described AI as the best development for Airbnb’s business, crediting it for technological advancements.[2][1]

Airbnb $ABNB & the adoption of AI is getting very interesting 🤖

In their last call, we learned that 60% of their code is now written by AI, and over 40% of customer support issues are resolved by AI assistants…

This is a perfect example of an "end-customer" in the AI chain,… pic.twitter.com/fECvY1H10b

— Techquity (@0xtechquity) May 8, 2026

Customer service benefits emerged alongside coding gains. AI handles one-third of customer service tickets in North America, achieving higher conversion rates from chatbots than traditional search engines. The company reduced English-language contacts by 15% through AI deployment. These efficiencies underscore AI’s practical impact beyond hype, boosting overall performance in a competitive market.[1][5]

Managers Face Obsolescence Without Adaptation

Brian Chesky stated on the “Invest Like The Best” podcast that people managers will hold no value in the AI future. He targeted leaders reliant on recurring one-on-one meetings, declaring such styles unsustainable without deep contextual knowledge. Managers must transition from overseeing people to directing work directly, much like lawyers reviewing case law hands-on.[3]

This view aligns with broader tech trends. Coinbase recently eliminated all pure manager roles, citing AI efficiencies. Chesky joins executives warning that middle management vulnerability grows amid layoffs. At Airbnb, leaders now immerse in operational details to remain relevant, rejecting detached oversight.

Strategic AI Integration and Cautions

Airbnb appointed Ahmad Al-Dahle, formerly of Meta’s Llama AI team, as chief technology officer to embed AI everywhere. Plans include AI-native trip planning using large language models for personalized experiences. Founder-led firms like Airbnb position themselves to thrive, Chesky argued, while others risk falling behind.[5][1]

Chesky acknowledged limits in AI coding assistants, noting no fundamental step change yet in productivity. This reality check tempers exuberant claims, as verification gaps persist in code metrics. Despite this, Airbnb’s market success and AI hires signal commitment to innovation over bureaucratic layers.[1]

Conservatives wary of big tech overreach see a silver lining: AI disrupts inefficient corporate bloat, echoing demands for leaner operations akin to Trump’s government efficiency drives. Yet unchecked AI hype risks job losses without retraining, highlighting needs for policies protecting American workers from Silicon Valley experiments.